Teaching Patience
by kyokichii
Summary: With a terrible sickness slowly sucking all his strength, Zuko finds that what matters most isn't just the power - but what you do with it, and who you share it with. Western Air Temple-era - Sokka/Zuko
1. Prologue

**Date Completed:** 10 Dec 2008

**Pairing:** None (so far… will be sokka/zuko later on down the road)

**Disclaimer:** Not mine. Hell, even the idea of Zuzu sick isn't mine… darn sick episode…

**Summary:** When Zuko asked to join the Gaang and teach the avatar firebending, he mentioned that there was "not very much time left," and they assumed he meant until Sozin's Comet. But what if there was another restriction on his time –one he hasn't told anyone about? (Much angst, drama llama, and romancy-smut. Oh yeah, and a good dosage of omg NOOO! )

**AN:** No, the whole story will not take place in Ba Sing Sei, thanks for asking. In fact, only this chapter (the prologue) will take place here, then one at the Fire Nation Royal Palace when Zuzu was accepted back… from then on it will take place with accordance to the events at the end of season 3, i.e. the Western Air Temple and Ember Island. I'm not sure where the epilogue will take me… but that's for the end of the story. And yes, the summary is epic failure.

* * *

The weather outside was sultry – nearly 95 degrees and rising – and the temperature of the small apartment room was nothing if even higher. All the windows were thrown open wide to let the hot air out, but that did little good when the air outside was just as hot as the stifling indoor heat, and so fat droplets of condensation stuck to the walls, giving the appearance of the wood melting (which, considering the poor quality of nearly everything within the stuffy apartment, could very well be true). The scent of the Cat's Tail Lilies that had been placed, potted, on a small table before the window wafted in with the afternoon heat, giving off the overwhelming odor of cinnamon. Everything was hot and sticky, much the same as every other summer day in the great city of Ba Sing Sei.

In the far corner of the light green room lay a low bed; it's occupant half-devoured by its dark green coverlets, with the stray arm or leg escaping from the blankets that were tangled around the pale body. Tufts of matted black hair stuck up through the covers near one end of the bed. With a low groan, part of the thick beaver-cotton blanket was pushed back, and eyes of firelight looked towards the window to find that yes, it was true, the day would not stop and wait for one banished prince to get ready to face it.

Grumbling again for the injustice that was the suns daily cycle, the ocher eyed teenager pushed the covers the rest of the way back and sat up on the edge of the bed, rubbing the sleep from his eyes with the heels of both hands. Usually he woke with the sun. Usually he didn't feel like an elephant-pig had trampled over him as he slept. Usually he was as healthy as an ostrich-horse though, so he chalked all his discomfort up to the annoying cold that had been plaguing him for a week, and thought little else of it. Besides, he was sure to hear enough of it as it was from his meddlesome uncle who would most likely not let him leave his sight without asking a million questions as to why he didn't leave his room (and subsequently, his bed) until nearly mid-afternoon. Thinking of his Uncle, it occurred to him in the same heart-pounding way one would get from forgetting to lock their door or a student forgetting an assignment - he was supposed to be working with him today.

In a mad dash to get his uniform on and be out the door towards the tea shop, the boy took only two steps before his knees went boneless beneath him and he was sent sprawling to the floor. It was as if someone had grabbed his head with a large hook and pulled up sharply, and he lifted a hand weakly to his throbbing temples, chastising himself inwardly for standing so abruptly. To be safe, he stood much slower after that, and only after he was sure he wouldn't collapse again did he hurry to dress and meet his uncle. And if the room was still spinning slightly, he was in too much of a hurry to worry about it.

* * *

Ten minutes later the dark-haired teen arrived at the tea shop, sweating slightly due to the heat and out of breath, but ready for work, regardless of his _very_ late arrival. Choking out a slightly exasperated "excuse me" as he slipped past a few workers lounging around the back door, the boy wasted no time in getting to work. In a corner of the kitchen lay a dirty pile of dishes. Seeing a way to keep busy and yet still out of the tea-makers' way, the teen grabbed a plate and lathered a nearby sponge with soap, scrubbing each dish in a circular motion like his Uncle showed him to clean it the quickest way possible. One particular plate had a large blue stain on it that was quite insistent. Pushing back limp bangs with the back of his soapy hand, he gave one last vicious scrub before calling it in vain and setting the dish apart from the rest. He'd deal with that one later.

Moving onto the next dish in line –one of the house tea cups –the boy thought back to the last hour and the feeling of complete vulnerability as his body shut down on him. How, for a moment, it had felt as though he was aboard one of those carousels he had seen as a child as his whole world began spinning. The shock his body had gone into momentarily where he could only think of screaming for help, how much pain he was in, and that he _must be dying_… He was so wrapped up in his own little world that he didn't notice how his sponge was starting to wear down the side of the cup he had been cleaning for nearly five minutes or how the water he had left running was dangerously close to overflowing the small metal sink. He didn't even notice the deep, concern-filled voice of his uncle until he put his large hand on the boy's bony shoulder.

"My dear nephew, why are you not at home resting like you should be?" General Iroh asked, worriedly taking in the way his nephew had flinched back away from the unexpected hand and the dark circles that stood out sharply against the boy's pale-white skin.

Zuko, or Li as he was known here, merely shook off his guardian's hand, missing the look entirely. "Today's a work day. I've slept enough as it is," he grumbled, accentuating it with a particularly fierce swipe of the sponge on a rather fragile plate. "Why didn't you wake me when you left this morning?"

His kind uncle just frowned slightly. "But I _did_ wake you. You were feverish and delusional, so I thought it best for you to sleep and get better." Large hands again found the teen's shoulders, but this time they wouldn't be pushed off by frustrated hands. Iroh gently pulled Zuko away from the dishes and began walking/pushing him towards the door. "And work is not place for a sick boy."

A patron who just happened to overhear them leaned back as far away from the "sick boy" as he could, but Zuko could do little more than glare at him, because despite his embarrassment at being told off and walked out like a little kid, he didn't really want to be here either. Honestly, he just wanted to get back under his covers and sleep some more. But Zuko had never done well with idle time growing up, and didn't want to get into the habit of it now that they were on the run from the Fire Nation and trying to make a better life for themselves. If anything, now was the time to work harder than ever! They were little better than peasants right now, living off meager rations and having to work hard for every meal; the least he could do was uphold whatever honor he still had and help his uncle out by working for his own food. Mind set, Zuko spun around in his uncle's hold and pushed the hands harshly from his shoulders. The exiled prince opened his mouth to argue, only to leave it hanging open when he realized they were already several blocks from the tea shop. His uncle only laughed and told him that he was afraid the teen would collapse if he didn't keep a good grip on the boy (reminding Zuko sharply of when he first awoke), and that as it was already nearly 4 o'clock, Iroh had taken the rest of the day off to look after his "poor sick nephew." Zuko has always been stubborn, but he wasn't stupid, and knew when he was beaten. With a small sigh that perhaps said more about how tired he really was than even his shuffling walk or even his fluttering eyelashes, he resigned himself to another day spent on nothing but sleep and laziness.

And when his uncle pulled him closer for Zuko to lean on more and more as they walked, he could do nothing more than smile sleepily and lean into the warmth that was Uncle Iroh.

* * *

**AN: **Prologue is very short. Please forgive. HOWEVER, I am a running start student, and will get a _month_ off for winter break, so expect several chapters within that allotted time frame. And I'm looking for a Beta-reader (no, this is NOT my first story; I made a new account because it kept sending out e-mails to friends who no longer check FFN, and I'd rather not make a spectacle of myself with my ideas on proper pairings… message me if you're interested, or even if you're not. I always love to hear people's ideas and their thoughts on what they think is going to happen next! =] Next we see Zuzu with Azula at the Palace… see you there!


	2. Ch 1: The City

**Date Completed: **13 December 2008

**Pairing:** Reference to past Maiko, _very slight_ Ty Lee/Zuko, reference to past Iroh/Ursa, insinuating future OC/Zuko (that WILL NOT HAPPEN) and future Sokka/Zuko

**Disclaimer:** Still not mine. Darn. I've got to work on that…

**Summary:** When Zuko asked to join the Gaang and teach the avatar firebending, he mentioned that there was "not very much time left," and they assumed he meant until Sozin's Comet. But what if there was another restriction on his time –one he hasn't told anyone about? (Much angst, drama llama, and romance-smut. Oh yeah, and a good dosage of omg NOOO! )

**AN:** Yes, there is a small section of Ty Lee's POV in there… but it's there for a reason. Not a very _good_ reason, but a reason nonetheless. Besides, she'll only be in this story for one chapter (or _will_ she? I'm considering having her guest appearance in the epilogue), so is there really anything to complain about?

And an OC! Oh, the nerve of me... Cal's just a cute little side character (Noooooo! He's my baby....! I wuv him....) that won't ever appear again (although maybe mentioned once or twice -and in next chapter), so don't grow too attached (like I already am .). I just needed someone to open our little Zuzu's eyes to ...alternative lifestyles...

Something I've noticed: it's very difficult to make this any longer than 3000 words. In fact, my first time through this chapter it was only 1890, and I had to go back and edit it _extensively_, as well as including Ty Lee's POV in there to add to the length. I'm going to assume that it will get easier as I go on, and that it shouldn't take me any longer than a week (two at most) to get each chapter to you. I look forward to the responses, and just a note: **fanart will not only make me very happy, but will speed up the process of chapter-writing, and how long each new chapter is.** I enjoy hearing (or seeing!) how much people like this fic, so if you'd like something to go a certain way, have any suggestions, or just want to tell me what you think, feel free to drop me a line. Also**: if you'd like to do (or see) a one-shot side-story to this piece, I will be very accommodating.** I've had people request side-stories in the past, and not only does it give inspiration to others, it inspires me to want to make this longer and better. However, you might want to wait until we really get into the story, as there's not much to go on about with two chapters.

* * *

Being back home was like going to the lake and realizing you've forgotten a bathing suit. There weren't any physical changes that Zuko could point out if pressed, but there was still something missing. And it was so obvious it was almost tangible…

But he was home, and that's all he had ever wanted.

The first thing he did when he arrived back at the palace was to go check on his room. It had been a good few years since he had been banished, but to his surprise, it looked exactly as he had left it; a fair bit messy, but no dust along the drawers or tables. Azula must have warned the maids not to touch any of his possessions, because he couldn't imagine that they would've left a pair of semi-muddy boots on the floor if it weren't for some instruction. But why would she try so hard to stay on his good side? It's not like she'd ever been kind to him before…

Sighing in confused frustration, Zuko slowly crossed his room toward his bed, scooping up a few random articles of clothing off the floor as he went. Compared to the open atmosphere of the apartment he had shared with his uncle, his room felt like a prison cell; although much cleaner, the dark maroon of the walls coupled with tall, narrow, velvet-swathed windows closed him off from the world more efficiently than a steel cell ever could. It was obvious that the crimson silk sheets had been washed recently, as well as the maroon paper lantern he had hung above his bed a year or so before his banishment. There wasn't a wrinkle in the tightly tucked silk; it was as if the bed was pulling the covers tight on all sides to keep him out of it. Well, the bed could just keep on pulling, because no matter how tired Zuko seemed to feel lately, he was still too proud to be caught sleeping in the middle of the afternoon.

Even though the bed looked so comfy…

Discovering his eyelids fluttering, the dark-haired teen shook his head slightly to clear his head of thoughts of sleeping until the comet and instead turned towards the window, where faint sounds of laughter could now be heard. Zuko pulled back the thick velvet curtains to reveal the manicured lawn and shrubs of the East Garden. It too was much like he remembered, and although he couldn't see the turtle-ducks from here, he knew that they would usually be splashing about the ornate pond, enjoying the afternoon. Unless Azula scared them away, that is.

Again, a clear laugh rang through the air, and brought the boy's attention to his right, where three teen girls were lounging under a purple-flowered willow. Well, two were lounging, while the other girl – one with a long pony tail and light-colored clothes – hung by her ankles from a large branch over their heads, laughing at the taller girl who was dressed in black with a sour look on her face.

Mai. They had had something once, he was sure… but whatever they had between them now was little more than awkward friendship. She was beautiful and strong, sure, but they were also too alike. Zuko had always had the tendency to get lost in his own demons, as did Mai. He was sure that if they actually tried to _be_ anything, it'd end up more like the tragic Flameo and Juliet; both of them too absorbed in their own stormy minds to realize that all they really needed was someone with a sense of humor to pull them up from themselves. But that was also part of the problem. Zuko was sure that if there were any such person in the Fire Nation, they would never be interested in _him_; with the fateful scar across a large portion of his face, he was nowhere near handsome, not to mention his terrible attitude problems and former exiled status. Add in a cup of self-conscious teenage angst and a pinch of clumsy-with-his-limbs and his outlook on love just kept getting poorer. Oh yeah, he was quite the catch…

By now all three girls noticed the gangly teen leaning half out the window, far-away expression and all. Ty Lee (AKA tree climber) yipped at seeing her old friend, flipping out of the tree to land in front of Mai, who only looked slightly amused. "Hey, Zuko! Come join us! We were just about to go into the city to get you some new outfits! Seeing as yours are so ill-kept…"The other two girls looked towards the cheerful girl, evidently unaware of any plan to go into town. Azula –who had been leaning against the bark with her arms crossed –stepped away from the tree to argue, but thought better of it and merely smirked at her now startled older brother.

_They've never invited me anywhere before_, Zuko thought to himself, cautious of their motives. _First Azula and her minions want to kill me, now they're trying to dress me up? Something's obviously going on here…_ Suddenly the face of Ty Lee shot up in front of him, and he tripped over his own legs in his effort to put some distance between them, falling hard on the unyielding wood flooring of his room.

When his back hit the floor, all the air was pushed out of his lungs. Trying to regain his breath, he breathed in… only to find that it felt as though someone had shoved cotton into the back of his throat –he couldn't get any air at all. He couldn't catch his breath!

_I'm going to die here just because Ty Lee surprised me?_

Gasping didn't help, and black spots began to litter the outside of his vision. _Was the room supposed to be spinning?_ Above him, Ty Lee's startled face started swirling and blending into the patterns on the tapestry behind her. It was making Zuko slightly nauseous and he wanted to tell her to stop spinning, but for some reason he couldn't help but stare. Why was she blending into the background like a chameleon-peacock? He tried to convey his confusion to her, but couldn't keep track of his words as they were falling from his gasping lips.

Suddenly feeling as though the floor decided to stop holding him up, Zuko was quickly rushed into the blackness.

* * *

The whole day had been wonderful; the sky was sunny, the air was fresh, and our family was whole again. Maybe it wasn't really as sunny or fresh as it seemed, but having her friend come home to her, to _them_, made the sky look bluer, the grass look greener, and even Mai's incessant grumbling did nothing to deter her cheerful spirit. Oh yes, the day was good.

Speaking of their little family, 'Zula had been awfully grumpy today._ Maybe_ _she was just upset that she'd have to share our attention?_ _If that was what she was worried about, she's just silly; she's always kinda been our leader, and we'd all pay lots of attention to her, even with Zuko. Shouldn't she be happy to have another person to talk with her too?_

Mai was once again complaining about… something. The weather, maybe? And Azula looked cross at the world. What was wrong with her friends? Why couldn't they just enjoy the day like she could? Today was a day to celebrate! With a little giggle, Ty Lee jumped up into the air, spinning upside down, and grabbing onto an overhanging tree branch with her feet. Thankfully the stretchy bands around her wrists and ankles kept her shirt from falling up… or down? Below her she could see her own pony tail, a lot of green grass and Mai's apathetic stare. Well, it was probably _meant _to look apathetic, but from Ty Lee's angle, just looked really silly. Amusing herself with the funny expressions her friends appeared to be making, she let out a few carefree laughs. The world sure was nice.

She was just turning slightly to catch a view of the palace when she noticed a dark-haired boy leaning slightly out of an upper window. One pale hand was gripping the window frame and curtain, and glassy amber colored eyes were gazing at them. One eye was surrounded by a rouge scar…

"Yay!" With a carefree yip, she let her feet disentangle themselves from the branch and flipped over to land daintily before her friends. _Zuko was back!_ Apparently everyone else noticed too because Mai just snorted, amused at the far-away look in her ex-boyfriend's eyes. Azula, on the other hand, did not look so amused. _Time for a little family counciling…_

"Hey, Zuko! Come join us! We were just about to go into the city to get you some new outfits," she invented on the spot, hoping her friends wouldn't argue that they never agreed to this. But just looking at the threadbare clothes Zuko was wearing, she could tell that fashion would be the thing to bring them all together again. "Seeing as yours are so ill-kept…"

Ocher eyes swiveled towards her in surprise and she couldn't help but feel her heart flutter within her chest. _Oh wow, he looks much better now than he did a year ago…_ He looked as though he was debating with himself whether or not he should speak his opinion of the quick-planned "shopping trip." Azula made a move behind her to argue, but to Ty Lee's surprise, said nothing. Good. Now she just needed to get him ready. With five bounding steps and a small leap, she was sitting before him. Obviously he wasn't expecting this, because his eyes went wide and made a move to step back away from her out of instinct…

He must have tripped over a stray piece of clothing, because down he went with a thump that made even her wince. She leaned forward to offer her hand, but instead of taking it, he let out a small cough and several wheezing noises, looking increasingly alarmed as he couldn't catch his breath. Her heart pounded fiercely as he looked up at her desperately, eyes wide and hands grasping up towards his throat. What to do, what to do?! Immediately she ran to the window and yelled for help, not waiting to see the expressions on her friends' faces. Sprinting back to the gasping boy, she kneeled down and tried to help him sit up. Her hands were met with a sweat-slick back, and it took no effort at all to pull the light boy up for better air. His confused foggy eyes once again found hers.

"H-hey…. When'd you… become a chameleon-peacock?"

With that, his eyes rolled backwards and he went limp in her arms.

* * *

Whoever said that dying was like falling asleep needed to be kicked in the balls. Hard.

That is, assuming that he _was dying_, and not just being over dramatic as usual.

Swirls of red and gold danced before him. Tiny pinpricks of light were making themselves known in the corners of his vision, disappearing as he turned to investigate them. Distantly, he recognized hushed voices as familiar females, but ignored it them in favor of the headache that was making itself more pressing to his attention. It blurredly occurred to him that he was no longer unconscious and was laid out across something plush and velvety. There was also the vague scent of vanilla…

The girls were sitting at a low mahogany table a ways away from him, discussing something in clipped whispers and hushed tones. Or judging by Azula's face, arguing about something. But Zuko didn't want their focus on him just yet, so he leaned back against soft pillows –taking his face out of their view and giving him the opportunity to study the changes made to the East Tea Room.

Back when his mother had still lived with them at the palace, the room had been light, breathy, and had the aura of spring. Instead of harsh wooden doors and glass windows, she had insisted upon Shoji screens painted with sakura blossoms and lilies. Unlike the rest of the palace, his mother's favorite room had been painted a light grass green, which had infuriated Father, who claimed it was the color of the enemy. Zuko could often find his mom sitting at the same low table with his uncle, sharing a similar love for tea, companionship and conversation, something rarely found from her stoic husband. The teen faintly recalled an evening tea in this room with her after an argument with his sister that left him feeling confused and frustrated with his difficulty in firebending. He could still remember her words.

_"Zuko, dear, what's gotten you so upset?" She had been a strong woman, and held his golden eyes with gold ones of her own. He had just looked away and wiped angry tears from his eyes, disappointed in himself for showing such weakness. She would have none of it. "Do you really think there's anything so embarrassing that you can't tell the woman who changed your dirty underclothes as a babe?"_

_Despite the teasing smile and eyes like warm mead, he hadn't been consoled by her concern. "It's nothing," he had said, crossing his arms across his chest protectively, refusing to meet her gaze. "Azula's just being a show-off again."_

_Still, she had zeroed in on the source of his torment and squelched the itching and burning self-doubt that had coiled itself in his gut. "She can toss around fire so easily because she is ruled by a fiery personality. But that doesn't mean that she's better than you, or that I'm more proud of her than I am of you." A warm arm had curled itself comfortingly around his shoulders, his head cradled by a soft-clothed shoulder._

_Even though the tears had still clung to his lower lashes, he had looked up to meet pools of amber, face slack in defeat. "But she's still better at firebending than me…" His mother had frowned and slapped him lightly on the arm._

_"Not better… It just comes easier for her. You might have to work at __**this**__, but think about those dao swords of yours. I don't think I've ever seen your sister even touch a blade. Besides, firebending isn't __everything." He had mumbled something about it being the only important thing, though. "Am I not important to you?" He had been appalled at the question. Of __**course**__ she was important to him. She was the __**most**__ important thing to him. "And__** I**__ can't firebend. So is it really that big of a deal?" A slight shake of the head, as he started to understand what she meant. "Now let's go feed the turtle-ducks. I bet they miss us, huh?"_

And that was only one of many times she had been there for him when he had needed her. Just another difference between then and now.

The chaise that he was sprawled out on was a deep red velvet with gold-painted legs and backboard, pushed away from the wall enough to allow easy access to the other side of the room without crossing the center. Rust-colored paint covered his mother's green, and the Shoji screens had been replaced with much sturdier bamboo sliders; both tasteful and practical, they kept the room lighter than the rest of the palace without seeming out of place for the strict environment. Large bookshelves still covered much of the opposite wall, although he bet that most contained war strategies and recounts of victorious battles instead of his mother's expansive poetry collection. Amazingly, the table the girls sat at looked to be the same one he had sat in front of with his mother on many occasion. _Maybe Father couldn't find another one that matched…_

His sister looked annoyed but overcome, as though resigned to some miserable deed that was for the best. Mai appeared less annoyed and more apathetic, which really wasn't all that different from her usual detached expression. Ty Lee, on the other hand, looked to be the owl-cat who caught the mouse-rat; she had a huge grin stretching her face and couldn't seem to keep still, bouncing up and down in her seat. He figured that he had probably faked sleeping long enough, and gave an elaborate yawn/groan, stretching his arms above his head in the most overdone "I've just awoken" pose he could think of.

Three sets of eyes shot in his direction and the boy realized his performance as exceedingly obvious, a scarlet blush painting his cheeks. No one called him on his acting skills, but each regarded him in their own way. While the other two girls stayed sitting at the low table, Ty Lee sprung up and over to his couch where he was just starting to sit up, pushing back a thin blanket he hadn't noticed before. The gymnast was now sporting a rather uncharacteristic frown, concern shining in her eyes. _Perhaps it's because I passed out on her._ Waving her hands in small circles through the air, she fussed over him –_was his head hurting at all? Any unusual pains in the neck or chest region? Was he warm enough? Did he want something to eat? What about a drink? _Too many questions at once; did she honestly expect him to answer them all?

"Uh… not really, my chest hurts a bit I guess, and I'm not really hungry or thirsty… what else was there?" The teenage boy brought up a hand to rub at the aching temples. He doubted if his sudden migraine had anything to do with his bout of unconsciousness. Sure, these were his friends, but he was a solitary person by nature and more than ten minutes in their presence was pushing his limits.

"Leave the guy alone. He's still as ineloquent as ever, so he's obviously alright now."

"But you didn't see him, Mai," Ty Lee argued with her dark friend. "He didn't _look _alright."

"You're _never _alright, are you, Zuzu?" Of course Azula had to try to make fun of him at every opportunity. She seemed to recall their original intent and turned towards her friends with a serious look, disregarding the question of her older brothers health in favor of something all girls seemed to love. "But weren't we leaving?" Ty Lee quit pouting long enough to remember the impromptu shopping excursion.

"Oh, right! We gotta make you look hot…er, better with some new clothes." For some reason, a cherry blush stained her cheeks briefly before she caught herself. " We should leave soon or we won't make it back from the city by sundown."

Zuko glanced towards the windows and was slightly annoyed to find out she had spoken the truth. The sun was low in the sky and if they wanted any hope of doing this by nightfall, they needed to leave immediately Azula and Mai started for the door, and Ty Lee began to follow them before glancing back at him. He just sho'ed her along, telling her in a look that he'd join them in a moment. Assured that he _was _indeed coming, she skipped off after her friends, out the door. Recalling his collapse in Ba Sing Sei, Zuko was slow in getting to his feet, but it paid off when he stood fully-erect without a dizzy spell to speak of. The scarred boy brushed off his pants from his original fall (despite the rather mangy state they were in anyway) and followed her out the door without a last look to the room that had meant so much to his mother.

* * *

"The City" turned out to be a maze of narrow alleyways dimly lit by strings of the same paper lanterns that hung above his bed, except in a whole variety of colors. In the center of the maze was a large fountain lit by hundreds of small candles that reminded Zuko too much of his "date" with Jin. The street seemed way too crowded for this time in the evening, and the road beneath their feet was made of uneven red-brown cobblestone –impossible to drive a horse-carriage through, but perfect for a quaint village pathway. The shops themselves were also just as interesting. No two shops seemed to be the same size or height, and their fronts were painted just so that no two same colors were ever touching. Much to their annoyance, however, none of the shops had legible signs, and they entered quite a few antique and specialty shops before they got the hang of the complex organizing system. Shops that sold food had an orange lantern out front, purple for specialty shops of any kind, red for weaponry, blue for books, and finally a queer yellow-green for three or four shops that sold regular Fire Nation attire.

The dark-haired boy was hauled into the first clothing shop they passed by an over-aggressive Azula. Mai and Ty Lee followed in quickly, pulling the screen door shut behind them for privacy.

Inside the store were racks and racks of material, ranging in hues of mostly red to gold, with a smattering of black, brown, and white thrown in for good measure. Up until this point, all the Fire Nations Prince's clothes had been designed with his future in mind, and brought directly to his wardrobe, where he never laid eyes on them until he put them on. It was safe to say that there were more clothes in this one shop than Zuko had ever seen in his life and it was a bit daunting. Where to begin? _And I may not be an expert on fashion, but aren't these __**women's **__clothes?_

Azula –who had apparently decided that picking out new clothes for him would make up for all her past wrong-doings– sprung into action, snapping her red-painted fingers at the attendant who practically _sprinted _towards them to avoid her wrath. "Calsifer," as his name-tag read, looked nervous but still in his element; he listened to the princess' orders intently and could effectively interrupt her with his own suggestions without being torn apart. The older teens wide shoulders and thick, coiling arm-muscles probably helped his case though. Despite the fact that every visible part of the man's body was sinew and muscle, Zuko couldn't help but think that he looked sweet and intelligent due to his bookish reading glasses, fly-away brown hair and soft green eyes. As if reading his thoughts, Calsifer turned towards the prince and gave him a raised brow. Zuko's cheeks burned as he was caught staring, even though he didn't know why it seemed so embarrassing to him. Cal just chuckled and poked him lightly in the forehead with his index finger. The younger teen just snorted and mock-glared up at the attendant.

"'Gonna stare all day or are we going to find an outfit to bring out those great-big gold eyes of yours?"

Annoyed, Zuko turned the scarred side of his face towards the man to say, _"Is this really what you mean by big eye?"_ but if Cal noticed, he didn't say anything. Instead, he began mumbling to himself about different types of fabric, leading them towards the back of the store. Azula looked miffed at the complement that wasn't aimed towards her, but only scowled and followed after the distracted man.

At the back of the store were stacks of silk piled nearly to the ceiling. Each pile was a separate shade of either red, gold or orange, and had various tags and papers stuck in between them at seemingly random intervals. Cal wandered over towards the nearest maroon pile and leafed through each fold until he came across a paper with the letter "S" scrawled on it and pulled out what appeared to be a shirt. Next came the pants and he repeated the process, again looking for a "S" and placing it on top of the shirt in his arms. For a moment he looked lost, like he was forgetting something important, but soon snapped his fingers and rushed off through the velvet curtain that separated the shop from the storage room.

Mai was through waiting though. "How much longer is this going to take? I never would've agreed to come along if I knew it'd be this **boring**..." She and Ty Lee had found seamstress' stools and pulled them up to where the royal siblings were standing awkwardly, waiting for the attendant to return. With a sly look in her eye, she turned towards the only boy in the room. "And you seemed awfully interested in that shop-keep's suggestions earlier... or was it just his face you couldn't stop staring at?"

Heart racing, Zuko balled his fists and glared at Mai, but was saved from calling her several inappropriate words because Ty Lee decided that now was the time to speak up for her returned friend.

"I think it was his glasses," the girl announced, "you don't see a whole bunch of people wearing them all the time unless they're old. So it seemed weird... right, Zuko? That's why you were staring, right?" She looked into his eyes searchingly, seemingly pleading him to agree and let the topic die. He could only mutter a faint, "Yeah, it's just weird," before awkward tension started to settle into the group.

Thankfully, Cal came rushing back into the room, panting like a tired dog and holding a long swath of golden cloth like a baby in his arms. He pulled up another stool and let the bundle drop onto it. Wrapped up inside the silk cloth were several small golden fastenings, all in the shape of tiny curled dragons. The clothes were then hauled up into strong muscled arms again and he whirled around, big hand easily encircling Zuko's wrist and dragging him towards a row of velvet-curtained cubicles. Silk was then distributed into Zuko's arms and the curtain was shut again before the startled boy could speak a word. Not that he had anything to say...

Zuko stopped wondering about his strange reaction to the older man long enough to get a good look at the fabrics handed to him. First came the maroon silk pants, which he slipped long legs into, standing up with them just to watch them fall to the ground. Obviously they were too big as they were, but surprisingly didn't fall down when he tied the drawstrings around his waist much tighter. Long and flowing were the legs of the pants; the thick golden cuffs at the bottom resting lightly across the tops of his feet. Noticing a sort of design in black thread, Zuko leaned against the wall of the cubicle with one hand while he grabbed a foot with the other. A black and silver dragon circled around his foot and breathed its red and orange fire at its tail, about three inches from its own mouth.

Next came the shirt. His arms found the arm-holes easily and the maroon silk was slipped over his head to settle easily across his chest. It had short sleeves that fell to his elbow with a golden stitched-dragon border. The collar of the shirt clasped low along one side of his neck and continued down along the same side to his knees, much like many of the dresses Zuko had seen during his brief visit to Ba Sing Sei. This too had a golden-dragon border, but was noticeably thicker than along the sleeve edges. That left him with one piece of fabric left behind.

_What could this scrap possibly be for?_ He thought, unrolling what looked to be several feet of overly thick obi sash. The once exiled prince was not amused. _Does he think me a girl?!_

Nonetheless, soon the obi joined its brothers in clothing the moody teens body.

From his point of view in the small dressing room, Zuko couldn't tell if he looked good or pathetic like he imagined himself to be. His pants were near too long, his shirt looked too much like something an Earth Kingdom _girl_ would wear and instead of a belt, he was given an obi. Apparently Calsifer thought he looked too weak to be anything other than a girl, and decided to tease him as such. He had half a mind to just leave that moment...

Unfortunately for him, the girls outside had been patiently waiting long enough and were now more than ready to see their finished product. Without knocking first, his sister pulled back the curtain to see what was taking so long. The startled male teen jumped and spun around, glaring at the girl before resigning himself to being their doll to dress up and play with. He pushed her aside and joined the rest of the group outside the dressing room.

While he had been taking his time in the small cubicle, Calsifer had drug an old stand-up mirror over to where the rest of the group sat. As soon as the scowling boy stepped out of the dressing room, he stopped dead at the sight of himself.

He looked, dare he say it... adorable. Cute, even. The wide sleeves hid the shape of his muscles just as the overly long and flowing pants made it look as though he were a small child trying on an older brother's clothes. Even his scar seemed to take on a new light; the maroon of both the scar and the dress (shirt and pants!) matched to some degree, and suddenly it wasn't as striking to look at. And even though he had hated the idea of an obi, he had to admit that it emphasized the slimness of his waist and hips... _And why the hell am I sounding like suck a girl?! I need some clothes that I can be taken seriously in, not this... dress..._

"Oh, Zuko looks so cute!!" Ty Lee exclaimed, shaking her balled fists before her mouth, eyes alight and a blush across her cheeks. Mai just nodded and actually looked as though she agreed with the exuberant girl. Azula, however, could hardly contain her laughter.

"Oh Agni!" she started, ignoring the death glares he was sending her. "I always knew Zuzu was weak, but now he **really** looks just like a girl!"

"I think your.. Zuko? He looks very pretty, very _handsome,_" Calsifer came to his rescue, although being called "pretty" was hardly better than what Azula had said. Then the older man turned and looked him up and down in a way that made the teen feel as though he weren't wearing _any _clothes, then winked at him. "_You'd _look nice in _anything._ Don't worry about what anyone else tells you."

Beet-red and embarrassed, the prince decided that he'd rather keep his intimidating persona around the palace a bit longer. "You don't have anything less... 'pretty,' do you?" Cal just smirked and nodded his head towards the ceiling-tall stacks once more.

* * *

An hour later it was dark and the four teens entered the palace exhaustedly. Ty Lee smiled and thanked them for inviting her along before turning and running off towards her room. Azula didn't feel the need to do the same, but left also to her bed chambers. Finally, Zuko and Mai were alone to walk towards their neighboring rooms.

The amber-eyed boy couldn't help but feel awkward around the girl he used to be so infatuated with. He just couldn't read her. Was she angry that they had split up, or did she accept that it was for the best? Maybe she was having the same thoughts because neither spoke until they came to the doors of the rooms.

"So..." she began, sounding as though she had no idea what to say. "That man –Calsifer– seemed nice... And he seemed pretty interested in _you_..." He didn't know what her point was, but as she was a girl, he was sure she had one.

"Well I **am** the Crowned Prince of the Fire Nation... people are bound to stare and try to get on my good side." Still, Zuko couldn't help but recall the look Cal had given him as he was ringing up his (less pretty) purchases –like Zuko had a bounty over his head that Calsifer wanted to claim.

She gave him a level stare. "That's not what I meant. He was _**interested **_in you. Romantically. You were practically egging him on the whole time, too." It wasn't really an accusation, no matter how much it sounded like one. She just cared about him, and wanted to know what was going on in his mixed-up mind. He however, couldn't meet her eye, and didn't respond. She understood his actions as well as any spoken answer. Without a word, she nodded "goodnight" and shut her bedroom door behind her.

In the embers of the day, Zuko was left standing alone in the hallway before his room, feeling the piece of paper Cal had slipped him with a hand in his pocket, and wondering why he hadn't thrown it away earlier.

* * *

**AN: **Oh my god.. chapter done and it's **MUCH** longer than I expected for a second chapter (Which is good news for future chapters). There are 6151 words here in total, and it only took me … three? Days to write.

The next chapter will **ALSO **be centered around the palace (much to the disappointment of sokka/zuko fans) because it's necessary for plot development. And I've decided that Cal needs to show up in the next chapter too... so yay. However, it'll be a lot shorter than this one, which means that the NEXT one after that will come much sooner (and be at the Western Air Temple =]).

So, for next time: We meet Lady Konowae, the mysterious healer-woman of "The City" and a mini-*date* with Cal.

See you then!


	3. Ch 2: Cards

**Date Completed: **Much later than I would have wanted it to be. Sorry. Life can interfere...

**Pairing: **

**Disclaimer:**

**Summary: **When Zuko asked to join the Gaang and teach the avatar firebending, he mentioned that there was "not very much time left," and they assumed he meant until Sozin's Comet. But what if there was another restriction on his time –one he hasn't told anyone about? (Much angst, drama llama, and romance-smut. Oh yeah, and a good dosage of omg NOOO! )

**AN: Is it a cardinal sin that I just want to skip over all this crap and get straight to the angsty drama stuff?** Usually I despise stories that don't give a solid base as to **_why _**certain things are happening... and I'm starting to despise myself for almost making this one of them. And so, I will deny my own wishes for this to speed up, and instead take my time setting the foundation. I may lose a reader or two in the process, but if it makes it better in the end it's all worth it. However, I wrote out an outline today for what I have planned... and am seriously getting frustrated. I can fit my entire story comfortably within a 15-chapter limit. This is _not cool._ I'm wondering if I should include mini-chapters (about 2/3 the size of an average one) detailing random occurrences of the Zuko+Gaang variety... Like... side stories... but not on the side. More like, thrown in the middle to take up space... **Filler chapters! **Yeah, that's what they're called... **_So what do you think?_**

Oh dear... and Calsifer... I've made him quite the lech, haven't I (although I must admit that was my intention...)? Still, I can't help but feel a bit sorry for the man. All he wanted was to bed the adorable prince. Unfortunately for him, our Zuzu's not exactly easy (nor having any idea why the hell some man would want to feel him up at the restaurant table). And I noticed that I accidentally switched to Cal's POV during their conversation then back... try not to get too angry at me, but it's a lot easier to write Zuko's reaction once I'm assured that Cal's really_ doing something wrong_, and it's not just Zuzu being over-dramatic again.

* * *

There was no real reason he had followed the note's directions to "The City" once again besides mere curiosity. For maybe the second time in his sixteen years, Zuko was doing something without an ulterior motive, and it felt surprisingly good. Great, even. _Was this how normal teenagers felt, going out with a friend on their free time? _If so, the young prince could definitely see the appeal. No nations to overthrow, no one trying to capture him for treason –or no one for _him _to try and capture– it was a strangely free, uplifting feeling to be able to honestly say that he was doing this just for his own enjoyment. This even startled himself. _When was the last time I just tried to enjoy myself and not doing it for someone else?_

He briefly considered his "date" with Jin. While it was true that he **had **enjoyed himself, he hadn't done it for his own enjoyment. Uncle had expected him to entertain the girl's wishes, and Zuko hadn't wanted to disappoint his uncle further by disregarding her feelings entirely. So he had grudgingly agreed to a dinner date, followed by a brief candle-lit kiss by the fountain. Then, when he had returned and his uncle had asked him how the night had went, the boy had found that he had honestly had a good time. But had it been the time spent in the company of that girl that he had liked, or was it something more basic than that?

As the Crowned Prince of the Fire Nation, he didn't often have the chance to offer help to others, but it always made him smile and gave him a fluttery feeling in the pit of his stomach every time someone thanked him for his help. Did he truthfully find himself at peace making others happy?

_I guess that's not too far from normal though. I _**_am _**_the prince of the nation. I _**_should _**_care for my people and want to help them. Then why doesn't Father? _The answer was obvious; it was because he wasn't a good leader. He didn't care for his people, or even his own family. And if he was a bad leader, he was a worse father. Though Zuko imagined that he probably wasn't the easiest child to raise – always wanting to go off and explore the world around him instead of listening to his instructors like his father had wanted him to. There was no question in his mind as to why Azula was Father's favorite. _But at least I get to be part of the family again..._

At the same time, Zuko found himself feeling smaller and more insignificant than he had ever felt in his life. Without a _bigger plan_, he was left feeling like the puppet once it's strings had been cut –all the freedom in the world with no idea how to get out and enjoy it. What was his purpose now that he had everything he wanted? And yet it didn't feel like he had everything. In some ways, being on the run with Uncle had felt more like home than even his own bedroom or his mother's garden and tearoom. Here, in the palace he should inheritly feel like he owned (because he one day would), he felt more of a stranger and less like himself. The last thing his mother had told him was to never forget himself, and deep down he feared he was doing just that.

Shaking his head to rid himself of depressing thoughts, the once exiled prince took the wrinkled piece of paper out of his pocket to re-read the instructions once more. _As if I don't already have them memorized... _The note itself wasn't anything amazing; messy green handwriting claimed much of it's blank surface, telling him in few sentences how to get to a certain restaurant and what time to be there, should he chose to take Cal up on his handwritten offer.

Which, for some unfathomable reason, he was.

To be fair, Calsifer seemed nice enough and didn't look as though he wanted him dead, which already gave the man a good place in Zuko's books. Zuko could count on one hand all the people he was positive didn't want him dead, and that was after including his uncle and mother. He still couldn't be sure about his sister, but he seriously had his doubts... And Cal worked at a _clothing store_; a fact that further soothed the prince's frazzled nerves. At least he was sure Cal wasn't going to be attacking him with deadly sewing needles or overstuffed pincushions.

So here he was, in the midst of "The City"'s nightlife, bumping and 'excuse me'-ing his way towards the center of the maze and the fountain that sat in the center.

Finally the fountain came into view, lit by hundreds of tiny floating flames. Zuko hadn't noticed it his first time through, but the buildings surrounding the square were actually open-patio restaurants connected by lantern-adorned pergolas (passageways of pillars that supported crossed beams and a sturdy open lattice). Weepy purple wisteria draped over the wood and hung precariously close to the small candle-lit paper lanterns, but the people of the square were too busy and thriving with_ life _to worry about the possible danger_. Besides_, Zuko thought to himself, _half the people in the city are firebenders. _Instead of the customary tables and chairs that came with outdoor seating, nearly twenty low, curving couches had been set out under large clusters of lanterns in a half-circles around the square, facing the fountain. Before each couch-circle sat a low table, and from what Zuko could see, every one of them had half-eaten platters of food on them, surrounded by carefree teens and young adults. A band was playing on one side of the square and under the steady, thumping beat of the music and the lazy glow of hundreds of red-orange lanterns, Zuko felt the world fall away.

"Looking for someone?" The teen whipped around at the sound of Cal's friendly voice. The man's eyes flowed up and down his body, smiling at Zuko's "pretty" choice in dress. Despite his earlier misgivings regarding the older man's idea of beauty, Zuko had gone back to pick up the ornate outfit in the chance that he may need to wear it to a fancy engagement at a later time. Like now. But he was starting to think that he was a bit overdressed, seeing the simple gold and green robes Calsifer adorned, and he could feel his cheeks warming in embarrassment. This made the man smile all the wider and reach out to clasp the shorter teen on the shoulder.

Simple embarrassment, however, could never defeat the war-hardened prince.

The hand was shoved away roughly; the owner of said shoulder glaring with intent: "you had mentioned a restaurant...?"

Cal stepped back slightly, shaking his hand as though stung but was just as stubborn as the young man. "Uh,... right. Right this way..." then he was off, twisting through the pulsating crowd like a phoenix-python through the brush. Zuko could only gape at the spot the man had disappeared incredulously. _He offered to take me out to dinner... just to abandon me? _Suddenly the familiar face poked between two people in front of him. A hand was held out for him to take.

"Coming, your Highness?" Normally, the prince would be offended at teasing tone of voice. This time, the boy decided to ignore pride in favor of that carefree smile and enchanting eyes, and let the hand find his and drug him off into the night.

* * *

"So, you're telling me that the biggest threat to our nation's a twelve-year-old boy?"

"That's what I just said."

A small, amazed whistle. "It's just hard to imagine, ya' know? I mean, here we have the best firebenders in the world, and we can't stop some kid?" His companion bristled at the implied insult. However, the older man had much experience with soothing frazzled nerves, and cut in with a pat on the teens thigh before the prince could work himself up and leave. "Shh, now I didn't mean it like that. He's just a kid... we'll get 'em." Still, the younger male was obviously not in the mood to deal with any political talk. No problem, Calsifer was a _pro_ and knew how to get the ball back in his end of the field. One exaggerated yawn later, he had his arm draped across the back of the couch the prince was leaning against. A few complaints about there being not enough menus (ignoring the ones he had stuffed under the table upon arriving) and he had the petite prince flush against his side as he read off the teen's fare. He had the prince practically in his lap and boy was doing nothing if encouraging it.

Presently, the dark-haired temptation was gazing up at him with molten mead eyes, and Cal could only inwardly curse the teen's age –sixteen was too young to drink, although it would make things much easier... But the boy was frowning; he obviously had missed his question.

"I don't know why I'm here if you're just going to doze off mid-conversation," the prince huffed, crossing his arms and turning his head towards the fountain. A calloused hand gently gripped his chin and brought it back to gaze into magnetic eyes.

"I'm sorry if I've offended you," the man began, holding electric contact with the boy's eyes even as he reached into his pocket, "but I can't help but get lost staring. No, not at your scar," he added, feeling the teen try to turn the burned portion of his face away. "Even without that mark, you are very striking to look at, Prince Zuko." Finally, he looked away, retrieving a parcel from his pocket and placed it gingerly in the young prince's hands.

Confused gold eyes met green, and he was ushered to open it with a smile and wave of the older man's hands. Zuko looked down at the golden-wrapped package about the size of his fist and felt a rush of regret well up in him. Suddenly, even his feet seemed much more interesting than those soulful green eyes. "But I didn't bring anything for you... I can't accept this." Warm hands found his face and again their eyes clicked, but this time he couldn't force himself to look away.

"Pretty things deserve pretty things," Cal whispered cryptically, leaning forward until their hair intermingled and their noses were almost brushing. Zuko found his body burning with anticipation for... _something_... and could only hang onto every word spoken like a lifeline keeping him afloat. "Besides..." Cal closed almost all distance, so that his mouth hung just a breath from Zuko's unblemished ear. "I _wanted_to get you something. And I invited you, so it's only suiting that I bring you a gift to thank you for coming."

If he could have controlled his mouth through his embarrassment, Zuko would have argued that it wasn't so much an 'invite' as directions on a piece of paper, but because he couldn't open his mouth without embarrassing himself, he settled for frustratingly tearing into the paper covering the gift in his lap. He bet is was just some girly thing anyway–

All thoughts stopped short at the sight of his gift. His eyes darted from the gleaming gold, still in his hand, to the older man and his eyes widened. Taking one end of the chain in each hand, Calsifer brought his arms gently around the prince's neck and fastened the necklace, leaving his arms in the loose embrace even after it was clasped. The thin gold chain hung to the center of the boy's collarbone; the pendant (a ruby dragon and sapphire sea-snake entwined) coming to rest just a few inches further down. It could easily be hidden with nearly any shirt, but was tasteful enough to not _need _to be hidden if he didn't want it to be.

Zuko understood the meaning behind the two dragons. His people believed that the dragons were the first firebenders, and also that one needed to separate the two halves of their personality to find balance –of if you were a bender: lightning. This necklace was a well-wish for eternal bending, something that was given (mainly to a dear friend) as a way to say "I hope you live a happy life" because to a bender, the flame _was _their life. For once, the stoic prince was touched.

"I think I'll just call your cute blush repayment enough."

Of course, it didn't take much to sour his mood, and he was again slapping a hand from squeezing his now-red cheek between thumb and forefinger. This was going to be a long night.

* * *

Nearly two hours later, an exhausted (and stuffed) firebending prince crept through the doors to the inner walls of the palace. As much as it pained him to admit it, Zuko didn't hate the afternoon spent with Calsifer. The waitress had returned minutes later with their food. From then on, they were both too busy stuffing their faces to bother keeping up the pleasantries, although Zuko wasn't usually much for talking anyway. Good food, a gift to take home, and he had a home to come back to. Overall, it was much better than his last bout of free time for dinner with another person (although that was probably due to the lack of females to make him nervous).

And he had found that he actually had some things in common with someone near his own age, which was rare for him. Calsifer, it seems, had quite the hefty trust fund, but had been working at the clothing store to prove a point to his father who didn't think he could work for his living. Unlike Zuko, however, Cal had never went back to his father, and instead seemed much happier on his own, making his own destiny. Which made him wonder, was he doing the right thing coming back here...?

From around the corner, Zuko could hear two of the maids chatting as they were doing their rounds. With the reflexes borne of the _Blue Spirit _whilst he had been in Ba Sing Sei, he leapt behind the nearest door, pulling it closed behind him. The room around him being dark, he didn't worry about his shadow showing through the thin Shoji screen-door, and leaned gently against it. Voices were getting louder, nearer, and he urged his heart to cease it's frantic beating, lest he be found out. It was late in the night, and he didn't want to have to explain himself to anyone. Sure, there would be no consequence, as prince, but instinct ruled him now and instinct could not be reasoned with.

"Do you remember Shina complaining of those stomachaches last week?" A pause, presumably a nod. "Well do you know what Lady Konowae told her was causing it? Shina's going to have a baby!!" The maid squealed excitedly at the prospect of a child, but the other girl didn't seem to be as content with her answer.

"Just from a stomachache? That's hardly symptom enough to jump to _that _conclusion."

"No! The Lady did some kind of special magic spell that told her _exactly_ what was going on. I heard from the cook that she gave him those herbs that cured his tonsillitis last month. She's _got _to be the real thing!"

Soft, pattering footsteps faded as they turned the next corner, and their silent eavesdropper was left squatting lightly on his heels, still holding his breath. When he could no longer hear any trace of the two girls, Zuko leaned forward into his knees, chuckling at his own fright. Then his small chuckles turned into small coughs, which escalated into deep, wracking coughs that shook his thin frame like a bear-dog with a chew toy. The tremors left as quickly as they came, leaving the boy slumped against the door, breathing heavily. Zuko frowned, rubbing his still-sore throat with his right hand. _I thought I was over that cold... _As much as he doubted the _abilities _of this healer lady the maids were talking about, he supposed it couldn't hurt to get this checked out.

The next night he would leave the palace soundlessly, stealthily, like a wraith. He would encounter no one that could describe the event in a way any more than "a black shadow" and slip into "The City," where he would locate this Lady Konowae. Money talks, but gold was also a good motivator to keep silent, and she would speak of the prince's visit to no one. And if she turned out to be the fake he expected her to be... may Agni help her.

* * *

Her booth was a small, silk-enclosed tent that reeked of incense and spilt liquor, sandwiched in between a weapons tent and yet another curio shop. He had pulled back the flap and stepped inside to be assaulted by an even stronger scent of vanilla and jasmine tea; Uncle and the Lady would probably get along great. Seeing a low table set out in the middle of the small space, he sat himself on the nearest cushion and studied the cards that were sprawled haphazardly across the oak surface. Two were face-up near him –a card reading "The Fool" and the other "Judgment."

"Oh, ignore those cards, Hun," a soft voice came from behind the curtain at the back of the room. "For the _tourists_, those things are, hardly gonna tell you what's _really _in store for you. Some reason _they _seem to like 'em though..." A withered hand pulled back the curtain and the little old lady hobbled over, knees creaking dangerously as she sank into the cushion across from him. Magnified gray-blind eyes found his behind her huge round glasses and she smiled at him, showing off her shiny pink gums. "Fire Prince Zuko, how may I be of assistance?"

He was straight to the point. "I've had this cold for nearly a month. I was wondering if..."

"If I might be able to tell you what's wrong? I get that request quite often, I can tell you... So," she began, reaching out and grasping his startled hands in her own wrinkly ones, "is there a cough as well?"

"Yes, but–"

"And what about headaches?"

"Well, sometimes–"

"Bouts of dizziness?"

"I passed out the other day, but–"

"Weak feeling in the extremities?"

"Not really..."

"Having a hard time firebending? Coughing up blood? Can't stay awake?" She leaned forward menacingly with every question until her crooked nose was inches from his face. He could only shake his head no before she dropped his hands, leaning back and started gathering up her cards. "Well, that's good to hear, sunny. Just drink lots of fluid and you should be fit in a week."

Zuko found himself staring at the old woman blankly before her words caught up with him. "So you're telling me that after a month of suffering, I just need to drink more water?" An amused nod. "But what about the maid from the palace? She said you did some kind of magic and told her she was pregnant!"

"Do you want me to tell _you _that you're pregnant?"

The boy's mouth fell open in shock. "Relax, boy. I only do my _"magic" _when there's a specific spot on the body that ails ye. You have a cold, or at worse, a type of flu." She shuffled the cards a few times with the fluidity of a professional player and set them gently on the tarnished wood. "Care for a reading? For you, it's free."

"You just said it was fake."

"The cards, maybe. My readings are always true." With a wink, she dealt out four cards regardless. The first card was flipped up –The High Priestess.

"Ooh, a good one. The Priestess speaks of the inner voice." At his cocked eyebrow, she continued: "It is a sign that your own intuition is trying to send you a message, that only you can create your own destiny."

He shivered at the cold that crept up his spine. The next one was flipped as well. This time when he shivered, it was due to the heat making itself known in his cheeks.

"The Lovers represent relationship and sexuality. Your personal beliefs will change, along with what you value most dearly."

She toyed with the edge of the next card before it too was flipped over to join its brothers. She shook her head and clicked her tongue against unseen teeth.

"The Tower is never a good one. It represents a terrible opposition against you, and a long plummet to defeat."

The last card was flipped and she didn't have to tell him its meaning.

_Death_

* * *

Zuko packed his belongings in a sort of trance, leaving behind more than he probably would otherwise, and seemingly dead to the world. Shirts were thrown on top of picture frames, followed by shoes, blades, food, and whatever was within his immediate reach.

It was obvious to him now, what was missing before. When he was traveling with his uncle (trying his best to shove down the spike of guilt and regret the thought brought up), he had someone waiting for him at 'home' that honestly cared about him. Azula didn't care, nor Ty Lee, and despite the feelings that used to be so strong, he was positive that Mai no longer held any affection for him. Then he had had a sense of purpose that was severely lacking at the palace. This was no more his home than Ba Sing Sei was, and even there he felt wanted. But where did that leave him now?

Unbidden, the face of a smiling airbender flashed through his mind and he roughly shook it away. Sure, he had been offered friendship before, but had denied it in his own stupidity. There was no way they'd take him in now. However, it was obvious from the last time they had fought, that the Avatar still needed a firebending teacher. If he could somehow... Still, he needed to find the Avatar and his friends first. Luckily for him, he was a pro at stalking them.

Feeling more alive than he had felt in a long time, Zuko took up his belongings and left the palace much the same way he had earlier that same night and took off after the Avatar once again. But this time, he would create his _own _destiny.

* * *

**AN: **Yay, I'm not dead! This chapter is 4,570 words long. Amazingly... short. And it only took... four? Days.

Forgive the Tarot card thing. I enjoyed it.

And someone asked for Ozai's take on all this, so let me explain why I'm **not **going to oblige that request: his dad's the Firelord, and doesn't have the time of day to observe every little thing his children do, let alone what his -recent UN-exiled- son whom he **scarred **does with his free time. The only reason he even had a take in the show was because Zuko decided to openly challenge his father's way during the day of black sun. In this fic, however, he just had his fortune read to say that he's going to die. It's understandable that he's a bit shaken up, and just wants to get away. So no arguing with Daddy. Sorry.

Next chapter: Our little Zuzu tries to join the Gaang, only to meet Katara's water whip!


	4. Ch 3: Acceptance

**Date Completed:** 27, Dec 2008

**Pairing:** Future Sokka/Zuko; slight Kataang. Also, this is NOT Toko. There is a bit of Zuko-Toph bonding, but that's only because I felt bad for her lack of field-trips in the series. They're brother and sister. Nothing more. Besides maybe servant and slave-driver. But Toph is one of my favorite characters, so don't expect her to disappear into the background. I intend to have plenty of Zuko-Toph bonding scenes. The world's just not right if they're not bestest friends. = ]

**Disclaimer: **My lawyers are still compiling evidence, but as of yet, I still don't own Avatar. Darn.

**Summary:** When Zuko asked to join the Gaang and teach the avatar firebending, he mentioned that there was "not very much time left," and they assumed he meant until Sozin's Comet. But what if there was another restriction on his time –one he hasn't told anyone about? (Much angst, drama llama, and romance-smut. Oh yeah, and a good dosage of omg NOOO! )

**AN:** I had **thought **that it being the holidays, I'd get a lot more free time to sit and write, and hopefully crank out at least five chapters by the time I had to go back to school. Thought. Unfortunately, I forgot to account for the fact that my mother was also off work, and expected me to spend time with the family and whatnot. Therefore, I could sneak off to my room to write little more than a paragraph every couple hours before she'd realize I wasn't there and demand I emerge from my hermit-hole. So I was disappointed, and you should be too. But she goes back to work, and I'll be able to write more.

* * *

Securing a long length of rope to a nearby tree, Zuko walked to the edge of the cliff face and peeked over the edge. His gaze was rewarded by a nearly unfathomable drop to certain death, enshrouded in fog and darkness. Still, he knew from his previous visit to the Western Air Temple that the Air Nomads had affixed their homes to the underside of the cliffs, and that the only way to see it would be to slide down a rope to them. He could only hope that they hadn't been destroyed...

Mentally crossing his fingers, Zuko slung the rope over the edge and watched it bounce slightly until all the tension was out of it. It wouldn't do to start over the side to discover that his rope was still swaying to-and-fro like some sort of snake; he could very well slide right off the end to his death. Next he wrapped the rope firmly around both hands, turning around to face the tree –the side the temple would be once he was hanging precariously from a thin rope. It was now or never. Then again, Zuko had never been a coward. Gritting his teeth, he stepped backwards into the abyss.

Obviously his knotting ability had improved since his days aboard the Fire Nation vessel. Although it was thinner than he would have preferred, the rope (and by extension, the knots) held him steady, so that he was hanging a foot or two below the drop-off, layers of solid earth inches in front of his face. Slowly he loosened his grip on the rope until he was jerkily descending into the crater below him. It took him only seconds to find a system that worked and soon he was smoothly sliding down the rope at a manageable speed. He couldn't help but look behind him down into the black abyss he was just so narrowly avoiding, but he also noticed something else. Etched into the wall before him was a large carving of the last Air Nomad Avatar. He had made it.

The temples themselves looked exactly as he had remembered them – large, white stone temples with jade-green roofs, but upside down, so that the widest floor of each building was the highest up, cemented into the cliff above. Between every few temples were large stone platforms coming out of the rock face; these were probably used as landing spots for the airbenders of years past. Zuko wasn't an airbender, but the platform before him looked a well enough landing spot for him. Gripping the rope extra tight for fear of falling, he threw his bodyweight away from the platform. The rope swayed accordingly. As it started to return, he leaned into the swing, powering it towards the platform again. Two more swings and he was close enough – then he was falling, crouching, and landing lightly on his feet, a hand down to help catch his balance. Safely on the platform, he turned out towards the open air and remembered the last time he was there; his uncle had been with him.

_"What a stunning view," Uncle had declared, more as a benefit to himself than the frustrated teen beside him._

_"The only view I'm interested in seeing is the Avatar in chains." He had been so angry, _he recalled.

_"You know, the Avatar hasn't been seen for a hundred years. The chances of finding him here are very slim." _

_"First we'll check each of the Air Temples, then we'll scour the world, searching even the most remote locations until we find him," he had seethed, hands balling into fists at his side. _

_"Prince Zuko, it's only been a week since your banishment," his Uncle had pleaded, concerned for the health and safety of his nephew. "You should take some time to heal, and rest."_

_He hadn't listened to him, and instead turned on Uncle like an angry bear-dog. "What else would I expect from the laziest man in the Fire Nation?!" Uncle had sighed in resignation. Even then he had expected nothing but insults from his only nephew. Still, Zuko had trudged on, needing to explain away his actions. "The only way to regain my honor is to find the Avatar... so I will." Uncle only turned away, leaving the prince to brood as only Zuko could._

Now he could understand what a jerk he had been. The old man had just been looking out for him, had cared, which was more than Zuko could say he had ever done for anyone but himself. Guilt rose up in his throat so thickly that he felt nauseous, and pinched the bridge of his nose between this thumb and index finger, sighing heavily. When would he be able to atone for his seemingly endless sins?

Suddenly, a roar sounded from above and Zuko was jerked back to attention. _That must be the Avatar's Sky Bison. At least I've got the right place. _Determining the direction of the sound to be to his left, he backed up quickly until he was hidden from view by a large pillar and squatted down. A colossal black shadow crossed the sky and situated itself on the edge of the main building of the temple – several hundred feet away from where Zuko was hiding.

They got here too soon. He had no idea what to say, and it suddenly occurred to him that they had no reason to trust him; he had betrayed them too many times before already. But he was _not _giving up, or running away. He just... needed a bit of private time to figure out how he was going to ask these people to foster him without making it sound like what it really was – begging. So with the best of intentions, the dark-haired teen backed away from his hiding spot and bolted for the stairs, doing just what he claimed he'd never do – running away.

* * *

_Ready, and PULL! _

With one final yank, the last of their supplies tumbled free from their confines of Appa's saddle, and into waiting arms down below. Several pots and pans clattered to the ground with various clanging sounds of distress and Sokka did his best to look embarrassed when his sister threw him a withering look. _Honestly, as if she wasn't expecting it_. He may have had a reputation for being a goof ball or idiot, but the young man had a head full of logic and reasoning behind most actions and knew full and well what the rest of the group thought of him. They thought he was near-worthless for his inability to bend any of the elements that gave his sister, Aang, and Toph so much enjoyment. He was harebrained for his klutziness and his unique talent of tripping over air. He was also the first anyone turned to when the had a problem. Underneath his gruff exterior was a softhearted soul who would listen to any amounts of "girl problems" with little complaint, or be a friend to vent to when the young Avatar was having difficulties handling the three elements he knew. But being the only guy in the group with actual arm muscles, he was also their personal butler – hauling anything of substantial weight or size to wherever the group seemed to need it.

Arms laden with all manner of campsite necessities, Sokka waddled away from the huge Sky Bison and over towards the arguing voices of the gaang at the other end of the temple. Katara stood in front of Aang, hands on her hips in the typical -don't argue with me or I'll waterbend you off a cliff- stance. Aang was holding his own though, surprisingly. The bald monk gripped his staff in white knuckles, looking as though he were about to bolt at any moment. _Sounds like Katara's being preachy again. I better go help Aang before she rips his head off or something..._

Up close, the source of the argument became apparent, and Sokka thought again about trying to reason with her. Aang _did _need to be part of their plans for the Comet. Briefly, the thought of Toph in Aang's clothes – controlling the Avatar State with the same cockiness she controlled everything else and terrifying the Fire Lord until he ran away screaming – crossed his mind and he had to muffle the inappropriate giggles in one of the sleeping mats he was carrying. _But what about new plans? What had changed? Aang still needed to learn firebending and defeat the Fire Lord before the comet came, so why the rush?_ Still, an angry Katara was a terrifying one. Vocally agreeing with his sister, he lumbered over to the nearest flat surface and emptied his load on the smooth stone. That was _much _better. He spun his arms in circles about his head to return feeling to them. Before him, his sister was obviously getting ticked off; her face was turning red, arms were crossing and uncrossing, and was leaning closer to a trembling Aang with practically every word. Sokka did not envy the guy.

"You're the Avatar, Aang. You need to be part of the plan-making! We only have two more months before the Comet hits, and you still need to learn firebending," she chastised. Still, Aang had been under a lot of stress lately, and didn't take well to being pushed around. The twelve year-old sprawled across a stone bench and flicked a pebble at Toph, who was quick to volley it back, creating a miniature rock-war.

"In case you forgot, it isn't even _possible_! I mean, it isn't like we're just gonna run into Jeong Jeong again– "

"Wait, who's– Never mind. If it's important, I'm sure I'll find out," Toph spoke up from beside him. Aang and his sister continued their tense 'conversation' while Sokka focused on someone who wasn't likely to knock him off a cliff if he interrupted. Toph let the pebble fall to the floor and started picking dirt out from between her toes. _Gross. Or maybe not..._

Still. There had to be _someone _who could teach Aang firebending...

* * *

"Hello. Zuko here! But I guess you probably already know me... sort of... uh. So! The thing is, I have a lot of firebending experience and I'm considered to be pretty good at it. Well, you've seen me, you know, when I was attacking you? Uh... Yeah, I guess I should apologize for that. But anyway, I'm good now. I mean, I thought I was good before, but now I know I wasn't... Uh..."

No. definitely not how he wanted to start off his first actual conversation with the Avatar and his friends. He needed to be suave, be charismatic.

Unfortunately he was neither.

He recalled Jet from his time in Ba Sing Sei. Now _he _had been convincing. Granted, he hadn't convinced _him_, but Zuko could still recognize the aura of complete self-assurance that Jet had simply radiated._.. _and couldn't help but wish he had half the man's talent. Not that the prince of the Fire Nation wasn't chalk-full of talent. Firebending talent. Tracking talent. Hell, Zuko even had some musical talent judging by how many times Uncle had requested he play the tsungi horn on their ship's 'music night'. It just so happened that the dark-haired teen had very little skill in social situations – something he had never regretted as much as now.

'_Froggy_', the badgerfrog on the fallen tree before him, agreed with his earlier self-reprisal with a loud _croak._

Zuko didn't have the heart to scare away the only creature to get close to him, and slumped back against the log with a long sigh, legs flopped out before him as they grew tired of bearing his weight. _This' been happening more and more often, _he thought bitterly, gazing upward through the foliage to the blue sky beyond. _First it was just a headache, then a cough, now everything's all... achy... Damn cold. _

Zuko had always hated being sick. Whether it was just the common cold or the chickensnake pox when he was nine, it had always left him feeling weak, helpless, and wanting to sleep all day. As a firebender, he woke and slept by the sun, so an all day lay-in was completely against both his instincts and his childish desire to not want to waste the day. Already he was starting to feel as though he were a tree, planting his roots deep in the ground, going to be stuck there for all eternity. Grumbling, he pushed himself up with shaking arms.

He needed to figure out how to convince these people that he was on their side. _Who else was convincing? Oh! What would Uncle do?_

A hand went behind his back while the other went to tug on an imaginary beard. "_You have to look within yourself to save yourself from your __**other **__self. Only then will your __**true **__self reveal itself." _All that left him was a sore throat from talking with a gravely voice, and becoming even more confused than he had been originally. _Even when I'm talking for him I can't figure out what he means! What would Azula do?_

_"Listen, Avatar," _he imitated, raising his voice to an irritatingly high pitch and putting a hand on a popped hip for emphasis. "_Either I can join your group, or I can do something unspeakably horrible to your and your friends. Your choice." _This time he came away with the added benefit of feeling dirty, and shivered at the thought of acting like his homicidal sister.

Realizing that he was truly alone in this, Zuko sank to the ground once again. _This is hopeless! Everyone I know either wants me dead or isn't here to help. _His thoughts turned south in a familiar whirlpool of despair and didn't seem to mind, however, and leapt into his warm lap with a hearty _croak. Great green eyes peered up at him and Zuko couldn't deny the furry animal. Calloused fingers sought out the backs of ears and the underside of a smooth neck, and his chest grew warm at the rumbling noise the creature emitted._

Maybe he wasn't as alone as he had thought.

* * *

Somehow he had gotten roped into sitting on a two-ton bison's head, steering, as his sister yelled at Aang to get back down to the temple to discuss future plans. Normally he wasn't against such quests, as he was '_The Plan Guy'_ and felt the need to be included in all manner of planning, organizing, or meat-eating. Now, however, he could do nothing but hold on for dear life as the huge flying beast ducked around the hanging temples at death-defying speeds. Again, this wasn't unusual, or something he wouldn't enjoy doing.

Back at the main temple, they were just starting on lunch.

And that's why Sokka wanted to be anywhere but here.

Having grown up with the woman, Sokka knew his sister better than anyone, and knew that she wouldn't give up until Aang was (unhappily) included in the plans for the future. Therefore, the quickest way to happiness (and a full stomach) was to appease her and try to get Aang to see reason.

"Aang!" he yelled at the orange speck doing flips some fifty feet above him, "I think we should be making some plans for our future!"

The orange speck looped around the large fountain and touched down, glider folding before him. Seconds later Appa landed next to his owner and his weary passengers climbed off of him eagerly. "Sure! We can do that _right _after I show you around the temple. You'll just _love _the all-day echo chamber!"

"I think that'll have to wait." Sokka jumped, having forgotten the short earthbender was even there. He looked down, only to follow the blind girl's stony expression toward the opening of the cliff face. Suddenly, he agreed with her. "We have company."

And behind them stood both the bane of their existence and the solution to all their problems.

* * *

Immediately all eyes focused on him and he froze. All the carefully thought-out speeches he had constructed for this very moment fled from his feeble grasp, and the ex-prince was left standing before a group of talented benders who wanted him dead, without any idea of how to ask them for their help. Or for _him_ to help _them_. He had been going out on a limb _with _a plan, but now he might as well have stayed at the temple when he had first arrived. _No, that's not right, _he thought, thinking back to the cute little badgerfrog he had left back at the camp in case the Gaang had turned volatile. Like now.

The water tribe peasant bended the water from her side-pouch into a horseshoe around her head, glaring fire despite her element and ready to fight. Beside her, the young Avatar held his hands up in openhanded guard, and Zuko knew better than to assume that the open hands would hurt less than closed ones. A girl with chunky black bangs – the earthbender, he realized – sunk into a low sumo-like stance with raised fists – tightly balled and shaking with tension. He couldn't see her face from the outcropping he was standing on, but he was positive that her eyebrows would be knitted in anger and her teeth gritted, as was her right. Even the Avatar's pet armadillomonkey jumped to attention; well-toned arms wielding a steely boomerang with what Zuko knew was deadly accuracy.

Zuko wished the earth could just swallow him up.

Judging by twitching toes of the earthbending girl, it just might.

Zuko's chest was tight and his breathing came quicker the longer he stood there, awkwardly, waiting for either his speech to return to him or the Avatar to smite him down. Seconds drug by and neither side moved – the Gaang to see what the prince was up to now, and Zuko to not interrupt the already strained silence and infuriate the powerful benders before him.

Slowly the world around him started to tilt left. He hid it well (why give them any more reason to laugh at him?) but the floor felt like it was swaying, as if he were back on the Fire Nation ship. Drums were beating loudly behind each temple. The angry faces before him kept going blurry, only to refocus less than a second later. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the shorter girl lower her hands slowly...

"What do you want?!" the waterbender demanded, throwing her hands out to her side in obvious confusion and annoyance. Zuko tried his best to focus on her still slightly blurry face.

"I-I want...I've decided that... No. I heard you guys flying around here, and... I guess I thought I'd just wait for you..." For some reason, they still didn't look any less hostile. "I think I should join you and your group. I no longer want to fight for the Fire Nation. There's not much time left..." _I'm forgetting something... _"Oh, and I can teach the Avatar firebending!"

Suddenly, something large, cold, and utterly _wet_ swept up the right side of his face and into his hair. To his right was the Avatar's Sky Bison, and it looked as though he remembered him from his trip to Lake Laogai. Zuko did his best to look not _completely _disgusted as he wiped his face off with his red flowing sleeve.

"Well," the Avatar spoke up, "Appa sure seems to like him."

Boomerang-man was less than convinced, and stalked up to him with heavy steps. Less than a yard away he stopped, hands on his hips and glaring daggers at the firebender. "He probably just covered himself in honey or something so Appa would lick him. I don't buy it." This time there was a lick from his ankles to head and Zuko couldn't help but shiver at the slimy feeling. Still, he was tempted to point out just how insane the 'warrior's judgment was. As if he'd dirty himself just for their acceptance...

"I want to apologize for hunting you all that time. It was wrong of me, and ...I'm truly sorry." Apologizing was not something Zuko was used to doing, and already disgruntled from his blossoming headache and slight dizziness, he couldn't help it if it came out...not as sincere as it was meant to. "But I _did _do somethings!" Skeptical looks from all. "I rescued your bison from those traders at Lake Laogai!"

"Still," the waterbender screamed, fists clenching and the hovering water flowed faster in response. "You've betrayed us too many times. We'll _never _accept you into our group!"

Seeing his last opportunity for redemption flying away, Zuko turned desperately towards the bald monk – shoulders slumping and bottom lip trembling to keep in the frustrated tears that were threatening to fall. "Why aren't you saying anything?" he asked, gold eyes pleading salvation from the gray ones before him. "You once said we could be friends..."

Gray eyes avoided his own and his heart sunk into the cold depths of his stomach. They would never let him join them. He had left the warm and sheltered life in the Fire Palace, only to be turned out at Agni's Golden Gates and all that was left for him was the dank, dark abyss of the netherworld. A sneer of absolute loathing and superiority came from the water girl, and her brother placed a protective hand on her shoulder, steely eyes staring him down. Even the peaceful monk looked set in his defiance of Zuko's plea; the Avatar shook his head once sharply and stared into quivering golden orbs, daring him to question his authority in the matter. Only the earthbending girl seemed to be honestly considering the boy's prayer, eyebrows knitted thoughtfully and hands loose at her sides. But one kind heart couldn't overrule three bitter ones, and Zuko knew he was outnumbered.

Slowly – so as to not be seen as a move to attack them – Zuko kneeled down at their feet, hands raised above his head, ready for the proverbial shackles of defeat.

"If you won't accept me as a friend," he breathed, voice shaking in an effort to control his still-sporadic breathing and fight the oncoming tears, "take me as your prisoner." He knew that he could no longer return to the Fire Nation. It was better that he be held 'captive' by the Avatar then left alone against the rest of the hate-filled world.

"_**No. We. WON'T!**_"

A force like a river plowed into his chest, knocking him onto his side and sent his whole world cascading into white and pain. Everything was wet and sore. Muscles that he hadn't even known he had had throbbed as though a large hand were squeezing them in a vice grip.

He put his hand out to push himself up into a sitting position, keeping his gold eyes half-focused on the bricks beneath him as they did their best to spin and blur underneath. Finally he was again kneeling before the group; a mop of soaked black hair hanging between him and his attackers. A trail of hot wetness made its way down his cheek to hang off his chin, and Zuko was ashamed to realize that he was crying. He was the crowned prince of the Fire Nation; he couldn't be so weak. _No, _he corrected, _I'm not a prince anymore. I gave that up for these people, who would rather feed me to the sharks. _Everything seemed so hopeless. Why was he still alive if all he did was cause trouble?

"You need to leave," that same voice ordered, "and if we see you around here again..." they trailed off, obviously unable to think of an alternative to outright threatening his life. "Well, just hope we don't see you here again."

Zuko nodded slightly to show that he understood, and regretted it when the motion sent the drums in his head into overdrive. Shakily he pushed himself to his feet. The first step was like stepping into sand; his legs were weak and wobbly and didn't want to support his weight. A few more unsteady steps and he nearly stumbled, but caught himself and played it off as though he had tripped over something, even looking back to the ground behind him.

Apparently he wasn't leaving quick enough, for small balls of ice began to pelt him from behind, and he was forced to duck and run from the onslaught. _What am I gonna do now?_

Back at the temple, Sokka loosened his white-knuckle grip on his boomerang with a relieved sigh.

He seriously didn't want to get into a fight with that guy. _Thankfully he backed down, 'cause I don't know what we would've done if him and his Fire Nation cronies had come to take on the Avatar again. Psht. As if they __**could**__. _Still, it was nice to not have to immediately get into a fight after they just got settled into the cliff side. It'd be a pain to move after all that.

_Hey, he didn't actually fight us though... _he realized suddenly, halting mid-stride towards where the rest of the gang were setting up a campfire for the ironically cold Fire Nation nights. Katara gave him an odd look, before realizing who she was watching and rolled her eyes, going back to waterbending the moisture out of a pile of damp logs. Toph practically _oozed _frustration and turned to the rest of the group, grumbling something about them turning away their only hope for a firebending teacher, and stormed off somewhere to fume alone. Sokka, on the other hand, sat back down on his stone bench, gazing at the spot Zuko had stood as if staring would tell him why the other boy had came to them. Last they had seen him, the Fire prince had betrayed Katara by siding with his evil sister and attacking Aang. Honestly, Sokka couldn't blame the guy. _I mean, if it was a choice between going with Katara or some girl I had only talked to for five minutes, it's no question that blood is thicker than water. _As far as the rest of the Fire Nation was concerned though, the Avatar was considered dead and both the prince and princess _should've _returned home to be lavished upon by their servants, and the gang would never had seen them again. So why was the heir to the throne begging for the help of _them_?

Of course, the answer was obvious.

They had seen through his little scheme, and called him on what it truly was – a trap.

Then why did he feel like they were making a mistake?

* * *

Safe in the dense foliage of the upper forests, Zuko let himself go; all the frustration and anxious fear feeding off the surrounding vegetation until all that was left of the woods ten feet on all sides were charred remains of trees and shrubbery. He fell to his knees, legs no longer up to supporting his weight after such a taxing burst of firebending, and clenched fistfuls of limp black in his shaking hands. Tears burned at the back of his eyes, but he refused to let them fall; he had already shamed himself once today so he refused to do it again, no matter how much better he'd feel after he was sure it'd make him feel. Instead he tugged harshly at the locks in his grip, embracing the pain it brought because it was better than the alternative. Why was he always such a screw up? It seemed as though his only purpose was to screw up over and over and over and over...

As they tended to do, eventually even his cold and steely self-control was beaten down by the emotional backwash, and a stray tear slipped passed his thick black eyelashes to roll down his face. Then there was a second, and third, and by then there was no point in resisting. Along with salty tears, a few drops of fresh, forest-scented water fell from the sky as it started to rain – as though even the very earth itself sensed his anguish. Kneeling in the ashes of his charred salvation, he cried silently, oblivious the rain and the ominous rolling thunder.

* * *

_Red velvet was underfoot, the encroaching blackness leering up towards the high, candle-lit ceilings. Before him were thousands of faceless bodies, leering and jeering at him from their places below the stage. Battle drums beat along with the stomping of the crowd. A menacing shadow fell over him and fire burned beneath his feet. Slowly, Zuko turned to face his adversary..._

_The Fire Lord stood nearly twenty feet tall, narrowed eyes burning towards his cowering son as he stepped forward; fire bursting out from his feet with every step. _

_Every muscle in Zuko's body begged to move – to run as far as he could from his father – but it was as though his legs were held in place by sand, and the struggle made him lose his balance, falling onto his knees with a thud. The Fire Lord looked furious. He squeezed his eyes shut, pleading for mercy._

_"Help me, Zuko!" a voice screamed out from the darkness. Suddenly, although he couldn't recall opening his eyes, his mother lay before him; dark hair mixing with the pool of blood, blank eyes staring into his soul as she reached out for him._

_"It's all your fault. If you would've just died like the healers thought you would, I wouldn't have had to assassinate Azulon. I could've lived a normal life. Your uncle would still have his father and your sister would still have her grandfather!"_

_"Please, Mother!" Zuko begged, crawling forward on hands and knees towards her slowly decaying corpse. Tears fell like rain and the ruby-black blood inched up over his fingers to hold him to the ground. "I didn't want you to leave me! I didn't ask for any of this!"_

_The corpse of his mother just laughed, and to his horror he could see through the rips in her decaying cheeks to the inside of her mouth, overrun with maggots. Blood oozed from her eyes and nose, and a skeletal hand reached out with terrifying quickness to grasp his wrist tight. He tried to pull away, but found her strength outmatched his own, and his eyes stuck on her mangled body._

_"Ask? You never ask for __**anything**__, do you?" she taunted, left eyeball blackening with blood and starting to slide out of its socket. "You're a bastard excuse for a son! All you ever do is cause problems for people. Think of your uncle! Iroh's now a traitor to his whole nation because of you. If he's caught, he'll be killed, and it'll all be on your head! And now you've nowhere to go... do you think your father will accept you back again? You're a __**traitor **__now, and when they catch you – because they __**will **__**–**__" she hissed, eye halfway down her cheek, "they'll __**kill **__you. Like an __**animal**__!"_

_The war drums beat faster, and the shadows flowed up and over his mother, dragging her screaming into the blackness. Zuko's heart pounded in his chest and he reached out to the night weakly, tears running down his cheeks. What she said had hurt, but it was all true, and she was his mother..._

_"You've disgraced the Fire Nation." Zuko spun around to face his father again. The King's fists were wreaths of fire, leaping up to disappear into the blackness all around them. "You need to learn suffering," he seethed, grabbing a fistful of Zuko's hair in a tight fist, pulling the crying boy's face into clear view, "__**and suffering will be your teacher!**__"_

_Fire rushed at his face, and he screamed, throwing his hands out to stop the fire._

_**"Please, Father, NO!"**_

"Ahhhh!"

Abruptly, Zuko realized two things – one, that he was no longer dreaming and two, that someone else was there, scrambling around in the rocks outside his makeshift tarp-tent. Blearily, he rubbed the sleep out his eyes before leaping up to see who was sneaking around outside his tent.

"You burnt my feet!" _Crap, it was the earthbender. _She was sprawled out on her bottom, staring at him in shock. He rushed forward to help her. Suddenly she seemed to realize just who she was in front of, and turned over, crawling away quickly on hands and knees, throwing huge rocks at him with her earthbending that he could just narrowly avoid.

"Stop – come back here!" _dodge to the left _"I can help you!" _duck to avoid a particularly large boulder _"I've been burnt before, I know how to make it feel better... Just trust me!"

Those seemed to be the magic words and the girl stopped for a split second before bending a huge rock pillar out of the ground, smashing into his ribcage and sending him flying backwards with tremendous force. He hit the ground on his side a second later, jarring his screaming ribs and turned his vision black for a moment. But she was running away again, and with her his last hope of a happy life, so he pushed himself up to go after her.

"Wait, please- Ugh!"

The pain was suddenly so severe that he could only wrap his arms around his middle, praying to Agni that he would just _die _so he wouldn't have to endure it anymore. It felt as though his chest was caught under a falling mountain, smashing his ribs and heart and lungs and all the important organs that lay beyond. His head spun and again everything was blurry. A serpent was forcing itself up from his tumbling stomach and he leaned over on hands and knees, vomiting the little remains of the day before's breakfast across the dirt floor of the forest. Dizziness swept upon him like a tidal wave, and everything went black.

* * *

He was warm. More like, encased in layers and layers of thick woolen comforter, but he was still warm. Plus, something brushed over his face before running through his hair. _Is someone... petting me? _It felt heavenly though, so he remained perfectly still, hoping whoever it was wouldn't realize he was awake and stop. Unfortunately, they seemed to discover his feint or get bored of the action, because the light touch disappeared. A warm weight settled against his side.

Slowly he started returning to reality, and could begin to feel the aches and pains in his chest once again. It wasn't as sharp as before, but the dull pressure was still uncomfortable. Also, his toes were beginning to go tingly-numb from not moving for so long. Overall, he was beginning to get twitchy, and needed to move.

Golden eyes cracked open to face the world.

His gaze was met by the red lumpy ceiling of his tarp-tent. It was still dark save for the exaggerated shadows of the flickering fire, so he knew he hadn't been out for long. Leaned against his side was the earthbender girl from earlier, and despite the fact that she was staring at the fire at the opening of the tent and not him, he got the impression that she knew he was awake and staring at her. She was sitting with her legs sprawled out in front of her, back slouched against his hip, and had an elbow resting sturdily on his knee to her left. Her other hand was fiddling with a half-eaten seal jerky stick, a rare delicacy Zuko had thrown haphazardly into his bag when he had abandoned the palace a few days ago. Had she been going through his things?

"Got enough beauty sleep there, princess?"

Reaction delayed with his still-sleepiness, it took a moment for Zuko to realize that she was talking to _him_. It took him another moment to remember that he was supposed to reply to that somehow."Oh... Yeah... I guess I feel a lot better now..." She snorted and he realized that she must've pulled him under cover from the icy rain. Suddenly he remembered her burned feet, and glanced down to the wounded appendages. Ouch. Guilt burned its way through his sore chest and his cheeks colored. "Ah, I have something that'll help heal your feet."

She snorted again with a scowl, blowing a piece of hair up away from her face, and leaned back further into his side. He winced. "You burnt my _feet_," she said, as though that explained everything. Huffing, she wiggled her toes and hissed, turning her upper body towards him to scowl at him. "It's not like I can walk on my _hands _or anything..."

"Well, I can carry you, I guess..."

"And not know what's goin on? Pft. How am I supposed to _trust you _when _you're _the one who burnt me?!"

Zuko frowned. "What do you mean, 'not know what's going on?' Can't you just –" he stopped as she waved a hand over her face, emphasizing how her eyes didn't twitch or react to the light at all.

"I'm blind. I '_see_' your vibrations with my feet." She 'looked' back towards the warmth of the fire again.

"Oh."

"Yeah, 'oh'."

An awkward silence descended upon the odd pair.

"You don't _fight _like you're blind..."

The girl glanced over at him, a thoughtful look on her face. "Thank you," she smiled, "I can feel your heartbeat and can tell when someone's lying or faking, so if you think that me being blind will give you an advantage in a fight, you're dead wrong. I'm the Blind Bandit, champion of Earth Rumble 6!"

Zuko had no idea what 'Earth Rumble 6' was, but nodded along just to agree with the spunky girl. He had seen her in action and didn't want to mess with her undisputed talent. Slowly he pushed himself up until he was sitting crossed leg beside her, back ramrod straight in the only position where it didn't blind him with pain. The girl quickly readjusted herself to lean against his side once again, head leaning on his upper arm.

Another pair of blind-gray eyes flitted through his mind, and he found himself wondering if Lady Konowae was blind too.

"Lady who?" Apparently he had spoken out loud. His cheeks turned red and he ducked his head, despite knowing that she couldn't see his blush.

"No one really, just this fortune teller I saw before I left the palace..."

"Ooh, a fortune teller?! Did she give you a good fortune? I bet she told you to join Aang, right?"

Zuko frowned, recalling the dramatic prediction and drew his knees up to his chest, wrapping his arms tight around them like a shield. Disturbed by his moving, she glanced up at him, only to 'see' that he seemed closed off and very alone. "Things... aren't looking good for me."

Silence settled over them, and they busied themselves listening to the lonely chirping of a pair of cricketbees. Beyond the opening of the makeshift tent, the rain continued to come down, freezing the world in sheets of black and gray. The trees on the other side of the small clearing looked intimidating; each branch seeming to take on the appearance of clawed arms before his eyes. Seeing only with the vibrations through her right hand flat on the ground, the world seemed an intimidating place. It didn't take long for the girl to crave the warmth again.

"That was some dream you had there."

"It was nothing. Just a nightmare."

"One where you woke up and _burned _me..."

"Okay, okay, it was a _bad _nightmare, alright?!"

"No need to get your pants in a twist, I'm just sayin..." She turned towards the agitated prince, hands on her knees and leaning forward in his face. "So, what was it about?"

"That's none of your business!" he cried, jerking away from the pouting girl. Still, she persisted.

"Well, if you wanna join us, you've gotta get used to the little 'emotional talks' that Aang's so fond of. I'm just lettin you practice on me! Besides, "she insisted, knowing just what buttons to push to get him to cave, "how are we supposed to _trust you _if you're keeping stuff from us?" The little brat was actually smirking at him, daring him to contradict her. Zuko just sighed, resigning himself to his fate.

"It was about my mother," he whispered, staring at the crackling fire to avoid her sightless gaze. "And I guess about my father too..."

"Well I figured that much," she huffed, crossing her arms as though he was keeping some big secret from her. "I mean, you did scream out 'please father no' right before you _burnt my feet,_" she reminded, propping up a knee to lay her unoccupied hand on. "What was that about, anyway?"

Zuko squeezed his eyes shut, trying to push the image of his father's flaming fist out of his mind, finding the fire only kept the memory fresh. He considered telling her 'it was nothing' again, but figured that wouldn't fly with the girl who could tell he was lying by the vibrations his heart made. "When I was thirteen, I attended my first and last war meeting. I spoke up against a strategy that would sacrifice a whole fleet of new recruits, and my father punished me for it and banished me from my own country," he murmured, reaching up to lightly finger his scar. Another hand found his, and his eyes flew open; the girl was kneeling right in front of him, mapping out the scar with her fingers with a concentrated expression – tongue poking out and all.

"Did he give you this?" she asked softly, running her finger along the bottom edge of the burn-smooth reddened skin. Zuko suddenly found that his throat was tight and nodded slightly, gold eyes closing against the soft brush of fingertips. It really _did _feel wonderful. Maybe he was just so starved for attention that he craved any form he could get? Gently he reached up and pulled her small hand from his face, leaning over to grab his bag that was laying a few feet away. His chest was burning again, but he had more important things to do. He dug around inside the disorganized sack with a slack expression – his version of a concentrated face – until he found a small jar. Ever since his banishment, he had taken to carrying a small jar of burn ointment with him at all times. The mint-scented lotion was expensive, but as the crowned prince of the Fire Nation, he had always been able to get anything at the snap of a finger. He would just have to make sure it could last until he could find some other source of income...

He turned back to the curious girl and gently pushed against her shoulders until she was sitting down, 'shushing' all her objections until she was practically laying down with her feet in his lap. She cocked an amused eyebrow at him but he ignored her skepticism; he had always believed that actions spoke louder than words, and scooping out a small amount of lotion in his hand, he set about trying to apologize for burning her.

The lotion started off thick and light green, but once it was warmed from his body heat, it melted into a colorless oil that filled the whole tent with the aroma of mint tea leaves. The girl hissed and started to pull her foot away when it first touched her toe, but relaxed in his grip when the mint leaves started doing their job. All the burning that she had endured while Zuko had been passed out was now dissipating rapidly, and she leaned back farther until she was laying sprawled out with her arms behind her head like a pillow, her left foot still in Zuko's gentle hands.

"Mmmmmm," she hummed, "maybe I'll have to drag you back to be my personal slave." Zuko just snorted, letting go of her left foot. The girl frowned, opening her mouth to argue when he grabbed her other foot, muttering something about equal healing times. "How do you like that, Sparky? Wanna join us still if it means you've gotta do my bidding until my feet're all better?"

Zuko gave her a level stare that was completely wasted on her as she couldn't see it, ignoring the nickname. "I'd want to join you guys if it meant that I would have to do all the chores, hunt for your food, and carry you around on my shoulders all day like a ostrichhorse. I'm a traitor to my own country, so there's really no point if I don't even get to teach the Avatar firebending."

The girl signed, biting on a thumbnail as she considered something. "Well, I could see if I could convince Sugar Queen to let you come stay with us, as long as you do everything I say until my feet are better. I'm sure Twinkle Toes wouldn't mind, and Snoozles could probably use another guy around to swap 'manly stories' with..."

"Snoozles...?"

"Sokka," she translated.

"Sokka...?"

"You mean you've chased us all across the world but don't even know our names?!" Zuko just shrugged shyly, setting down the girl's right foot and sealed up the jar again before it could tip over and spill out across the ground.

"It's not as though I really had any reason to," he reasoned, leaning back slowly on his hands, trying to find a comfortable position to not jar his sore ribs further. "Back then I just saw you all as a sort of prize, something to return my honor. Now I wish I knew them though..."

"I'll take pity on you because of that nifty little oil stuff," she decided, rolling over to prop herself up on her side with a hand. "My name's Toph, but you can call me Master." He just rolled his eyes, waving his hand for her to continue. "The Avatar's name is Aang. I call him Twinkle Toes, but somehow I don't think he'd like it if you started calling him that too. The waterbender's name is Katara, or Sugar Queen. Watch out for her, she's got a temper and no one wants to piss her off. Her brother's Sokka, Snoozles, and he's the meat and sarcasm guy. He deals mainly with meat and sarcasm. And planning. He's the plan guy too. Haru's the guy with the mustache, The Duke's the little kid, and Teo's the guy in the wheelchair. Got that?"

Zuko was struggling to just remember her name. "So you're... Toph. Right?" She nodded amusedly. "And the Avatar's Aang." Another nod. "The bi- waterbender's Katara." Toph let out a cross between a snort and a giggle, but nodded anyway. "And Sokka's the plan, mean, and sarcasm guy?"

"Yep. But I think if you come back knowing Haru, The Duke, or Teo, they'll just get freaked out that the Fire Nation already knows so much about them. Maybe it's best if you don't memorize their names? Yeah. Just remember ours."

Easier said than done, but Zuko figured he could manage. Or at least try. "Thanks for you know... helping me out earlier. Even though I burned your feet. You didn't have to do that..."

Toph just shrugged, idly bending little circles into the dirt by her side. "It's not like you gave me any other choice. You _did _pass out right in front of me, you know. What'd you expect me to do, leave you there?"

"Well... yeah. No one else but my uncle's ever really cared for me, or cared what happened to me. So why would you – a girl I stalked and hunted – do anything to help me?"

"You," she said, sitting up and poking him sharply in the chest with her finger, "aren't as tough as you try to act like. I don't care what the rest of the gaang says, you're just a big softie." This time Zuko didn't even blush, just nodding slightly, positive that she would sense the movement. Toph leaned back again, this time sprawled alongside him, both staring into the fire. "That and Twinkle Toes needs a firebending teacher that's _not _dead or dying. You sounded terrible."

Zuko grumbled, rubbing gently along his bruised side. "Of course I sounded terrible, you hit me in the chest with a friggin **rock**."

"Back at the temple," she clarified. The other boy looked out into the rain, remembering the way everything had seemed to tilt and sway, and the tightness in his chest. "Your heart was going a mile a minute and your breathing was as erratic as your steps. What's wrong with you?"

"Just a cold." A disbelieving glance. "Okay, a _bad _cold, alright? Jeesh... I might have a fever too, but that's probably from being out in the rain earlier. It's no big deal; it should go away in another week or two. I just need to 'drink more liquid', the fortune teller said. Load of garbage _that _was..." and he meant it. It wasn't even that bad of a cold. Certain things just set it off more and more often. But uncle had always said that things tend to get worse before they got better. "Anyway, it's getting late. You can stay the night here if you want, but won't the rest of your group wonder where you are?"

Toph let out a harsh laugh, expression turning foul. "Everyone's too stuck up in their own little worlds to worry about what I'm doing. Besides, I'm a big girl, I can take care of myself!"

"That's not what I meant," he placated, laying back and rolling over on his side to face her. "It's just- don't you guys usually sleep in the same area? Won't they notice when your bedroll stays empty?"

"We each have our own rooms and I was pretty angry when I left, so they'll just think I slept there." She rolled over to face him. "Yeah. I think I'll sleep here tonight. Got any extra blankets?"

Zuko just smiled, tossing the top two layers of his bedding over her, chuckling when she squealed, not expecting the sudden weight. After a few adjustments, both had their beds ready; side-by-side for protection from the cold. Toph snuggled into hers, maneuvering around until the blankets came up to her chin, flat on her back in the little niche she had created for herself with her earthbending skills. She looked quite comfy. Once he had wedged a pillow under the right side of his back, Zuko felt moderately comfortable too, or at least as comfortable as he was going to get that night. His ribs still ached terribly, but he figured there wasn't much he could do about it until morning at least. And he had had worse...

"What's it like, traveling with the Avatar?"

Her voice was slightly muffled with the covers, but he could still hear the little happy sigh when she thought about the group. "Aang's just a normal kid, really. His cheerfulness can get annoying, but he always keeps us on our toes. Him and Sugar Queen are always starting fights now though. She can't tell he likes her, but it's really obvious. Sokka's really just obsessed with meat, so as long as he's got it, he's happy. I guess we're kind of like a family," she settled on, closing her eyes with a small smile on her face. She could've asked about his life in the Fire Palace, but having her own experience being waited on along with the fact that he was away from home, she decided it wasn't worth the discomfort the question would cause. "Katara's the fussy mom, Aang's like my little brother – even though he's older than me – and Sokka's the weird old uncle, or maybe just a really goofy dad. If you joined, you'd probably be... like an older brother?"

"Sure," he replied easily, "I'd like that." It'd be nice to have a younger sister who didn't want him dead.

"Great! You can help me do all the stuff I always had to do on my own! I'm an only child, so it'd be cool to have someone taller to help me out with my pranks."

"So you only want me for my height," he feigned hurt, throwing a hand up over his face. They both laughed.

Hours later, Zuko was still awake, the pain in his side keeping him from getting any more than ten minutes of rest at a time. Toph was snuggled into his side, and her slight weight was comforting to the distraught teen. She had called him her brother. And it had felt good, warm and tingly even. Was this what a normal family felt like? If so, Zuko was even more determined to join the Avatar- Aang, he corrected. He wanted- no, _craved _to be able to spend more time with people who didn't actually want him dead. Hopefully, in time the rest of the group wouldn't want him dead too.

* * *

**AN: **Yay!Alright. Another chapter done. And it was twice the length of the last one. That's just what happens when we get to the more entertaining stuff, people. Sadly, they tend to take a bit longer, though... This one alone was 9,850 words long. A record for me!

Haha, a deceptive title. True, Zuzu didn't get accepted by the Gaang... but Toph accepted him, and that's all that matters.

I'd like to thank my reviewers, **Plude** (Who so graciously reviewed _twice_), **Bluetiger**, **Wildtaz2go**, and **Kristoshi Warrior**. You guys are awesome. Feedback is very welcome (criticism in particular), so don't hesitate to review!

Next time we'll find out if the group will listen to Toph and let Zuko join.


	5. Ch 4: Getting Settled

**Date Completed: **5 January 2009

**Pairing: **Finally getting to some _slight _Sokka/Zuko.

**Disclaimer: **Although I tried. Honest. That's why this took so long. -_____-

**Summary: **When Zuko asked to join the Gaang and teach the avatar firebending, he mentioned that there was "not very much time left," and they assumed he meant until Sozin's Comet. But what if there was another restriction on his time –one he hasn't told anyone about? (Much angst, drama llama, and romance-smut. Oh yeah, and a good dosage of omg NOOO! )

**Warning: **Zuko says the F-word at some point... just in case you're wondering why it suddenly went to M... but it'll get worse soon anyway, so I might as well raise it now to be safe.

**AN: **We have comparatively longer Sokka's POV's this chapter, it seems. And SUPRISE! Even a Toph POV thrown in for good measure. With purpose! There's actually a LOT of POV's in this one... And I think I had _way _too much fun writing Ninja!Zuko, although I was epic fail at the fighting scene. Honestly, I can't write action. Anyone got pointers? =]

* * *

Warm, sparkling rays of sun flooded the smooth stone floors of the Western Air Temple, ushering in the new day. Dust motes took flight in the new light, filling the air with sparkling bits of life. The gray marble shone gold, reflecting and refracting off every smooth surface until the whole temple was glowing and glimmering in the sun. Beside the trinkling fountain, six stuffed bedrolls were scattered about; two of the smallest ones, green, were huddled closest together for comfort and another one, orange, was spread out across the wide, flat tail of the Sky Bison, Appa. A particularly lumpy blue one started twitching slightly, before a long tan arm burst out of the top, followed by a head of messy brown hair and sky blue eyes, squinted in the morning light.

_Ugh. It was way too early to be up, but nature calls..._ Huffing as he struggled out of the thick sleeping bag, Sokka rubbed his tired eyes with the heel of his hand. The bag was made only more complicated by the early hour, and Sokka felt like an idiot stuck in his own bedroll. Briefly he contemplated waking his sister to help him, but quickly discarded the thought, imagining a dragon-like Katara descending upon him with ten-foot sharp icicles of death. She did _not _like to be woken up early.

Wiggling like a eelworm, he pushed his other arm up through his head hole, bringing his arms as far apart as the small opening allowed. The hole stretched wider in response. He wiggled forward again, this time kicking his feet out behind him, pushing the thick material away from his tangled legs. Slowly, he was becoming freed from his cocoon bed. Eventually he was free and he jumped up, grinning widely at his 'accomplishment'. Unfortunately, his foot was still caught on the edge of the blanket, and his face was once again introduced to the stone floor.

_Well, at least I'm out of the sleeping bag... _He glanced around to make sure no one awoke from the rather loud thump. _Still sleeping._ Pausing momentarily to stretch out the sore muscles in his back, again he was off to go... do his business. The monks had installed a creative system of tubes and special chambers for this very purpose – intricate mazes of piping that all lead down to the chasm below that would've taken months to build, even with the assistance of airbending. Sokka was just happy he didn't have to use a bush or a tree.

Feeling much more refreshed, the watertribe warrior ambled back into the main temple room and plopped down on the nearest bench with a sigh. Everyone was still asleep, but he knew it wouldn't last for long. Katara was a notoriously early riser, and he could remember when they were kids, she had often woken even before the arctic sun had risen, waking him up with her. He'd bet his last piece of seal jerky that she'd be up and making breakfast within the hour. And like many other kids, The Duke woke crazy early, and with the ball of pattering feet up and running, no one else would be sleeping long after. Sokka was surprised Toph was still asleep. Usually she would have came storming out of her room and pelted him with rocks for waking her with his 'vibrations'.

Just as predicted, a loud groan came from the other blue bedroll.

"Morning, Sis," he greeted the wriggling lump. She, too, seemed to be having difficulties with her bedding. Perhaps they needed new ones? His sister in turn just grumbled something about mornings never being good, before a tinny _zippp_ came from her bag and she rolled out of her now open sleeping bag.

_Oh yeah, there's the zipper... right..._

"I'm gonna get started on breakfast. Go wake Toph for me? I could use some help with the cooking..." Katara was up and already doing a million things at once – folding his and her bedrolls, tidying up their living area, and getting breakfast started – so Sokka was happy to do something to help his stressed-out sister. While she bitched about near everything, she did a lot for the group, and he didn't want to be coasting on the heels of the groups success.

But still, that meant having to move.

"Sure," he grumbled, standing up and ignoring the pops from his knees which made his sister cringe. As he meandered towards the far side of the temple to Toph's room, scratching idly at the back of his head with grimy fingernails, he remembered that the girl in question was probably still peeved from last night. He didn't get why it was so important to her that they open their home (or in their case, their hiding place) to the guy that had been trying to hunt them down for the past year. Maybe it was a girl thing, this 'feeling sorry for the enemy' feeling that had been sweeping the group. First Katara in the catacombs, now Toph. He personally didn't like the idea, but then again, he didn't like the _guy _either.

He ducked under the low ceiling edge and started up the stairs. The swollen wood steps creaked with each step, and he winced as a careless step echoed throughout the building. If he ever needed to sneak up here for any reason, he'd be caught immediately. On the other hand, it would prevent intruders from sneaking in this area at least.

The hallway that held Toph's room was long, narrow, and painted in green and gold – earth kingdom colors, and that's why she had chosen this specific area. Her room was at the far end of the hall, right before a large window-style opening in the wall. He contemplated just opening the door, seeing as she would've heard his footsteps and known he was coming anyway, but decided to knock in case he might accidentally walk into something he wouldn't want to see. Like her changing or something.

No answer.

Gently, he pushed open the door and peeked his head inside. The low bed was empty and a quick check confirmed that she was not indeed hiding behind the door to pop out and scare him.

Toph wasn't in her room, and she wasn't with the rest of the group. As far as he could tell, she wasn't even in the _temple_. Shuffling back towards the rest of the group, Sokka wondered where the girl was, and couldn't help but feel guilty when he realized that now _he_ would have to help with the cooking.

* * *

Princey's covers were _much _comfier and warmer than the ones they had back at the temple. And undoubtedly twenty times as expensive, too. She would just have to steal half of his as part of his repayment for burning her.

Admittedly, the sting was gone, as well as the overwhelming heat she had felt for the first couple hours... but her toes and heels were still numb, and couldn't feel the surrounding vibrations as well as they usually could. If she complained a lot, she could probably milk this out for another week at least.

The tinkering of metal on metal brought her back to her surroundings, and with a palm flat on the ground beside her blankets, she felt the other boy packing up his supplies quietly on the other side of the tent. He had awoken as soon as the faint sun fell across their tent, and (thinking her still asleep) had been trying in vain to organize everything silently for the last twenty minutes or so. Granted, she _had _been still sleeping, but her sensitive hearing had picked up on his first footstep and woken her up. Since then, she'd been laying cocooned in the warmth of his bedding, pleased that for the first time in the past month or two, she wasn't being asked to do chores or help with the cooking.

Judging my the slow smell of cooking bacon, he was even going to make her breakfast. And if that wasn't the plan, she was going to steal his, and he could make some of his own later.

Feigning a loud yawn, she stretched out in all directions, sending the blankets flying. The sound of his stirring paused in recognition.

"Good morning. I hope you like cowpig bacon... if not I think I might still have some chickensnake eggs somewhere–"

"Bacon's great," she replied, grinning at the anxious quality in his voice. She intimidated him, eh? A new, crisper smell wafted over and she crinkled her nose. "You might wanna stir that a bit more though. It's starting to burn."

"R-Right!" Immediately the stirring returned and she grabbed his pile of blankets, piling them up behind her and creating a sort of chair for her to lounge in as he cooked. The prince started whistling absently, and she smirked. Already he was getting too comfortable around her. That wouldn't do. A small pebble suddenly acquainted itself with the back of the boy's head.

"Hey! What was that for?" Toph put on her best innocent face and looked around her, as though to spot the mysterious rock-thrower.

"I don't know what you're talking about. _I _didn't do anything..." He would've been a fool to believe her, and Toph was certain he didn't, but he didn't explode at her or even sound remotely annoyed beyond a small sigh. Instead, he merely finished up with the cooking silently, scooping out the seven fat slices of bacon out of the pan to cool on a plate off to the side. The sizzling smell of the cooked fat teased at Toph's nose, and suddenly her stomach felt much more empty and grumbling than it had been minutes before.

The dark-haired prince took up the now toasty warm plate in hand and kneeled before her, holding the food out like an offering to a vengeful god. Toph chuckled and shoved him hard enough in the shoulder to knock him onto his bottom by her side, making sure to have a good grip on the food first. Zuko let out a small startled noise like a mouse's squeak before settling in next to her, kipping a small piece of bacon off the tray.

Despite her many years of etiquette training in table manners alone, Toph felt completely comfortable eating how she wanted in front of anyone. It seemed that the Fire Nation boy next to her wasn't quite as confident, for his every bite was small and dainty, no crumbs littering his lips or face like she was sure coated hers. At least she was sure _she _enjoyed the food to it's fullest...

After munching through five hearty slices of bacon, she went to move the tray off her lap only to realize that there was still one piece left. Had Princey really left all this to her?

Poking him in the calf with her toe, she held the tray out to him. "You can have the last piece. This stuff's filling!" Idly she rubbed at her contented tummy, feeling like she could comfortably lay there all day. If only she didn't have to return to the group just yet.

"No thanks," he grumbled weakly. Toph 'glanced' over to his vibrations and 'saw' that the boy in question was sitting, arms curled protectively around his grumbling stomach, head resting on his knees as though fighting off some sort of vertigo.

She set the tray off to the side where it couldn't spill on her before she spoke, concerned, "You alright, Sparky?"

He just waved a hand at her limply. "Fine, fine. Just a bit of a stomachache." As if to prove it really was just a bit of stomach sickness, he uncurled from his tense position, stood up, then began clearing the dishes and cookware. Toph wasn't fooled.

"But you didn't _eat _anything!" she argued. Between the sparse meat supplies and Sokka's greedy mug, letting perfectly good bacon go to waste was near sacrilege in the gaang.

The sound of the rough sea sponge on the dirty plates and pan grew fiercer. "I'm just not that hungry, alright?!"

Toph huffed, annoyed at him snubbing her, but plopped the last piece of bacon into her mouth; if he really was as not hungry as he said he was, he shouldn't mind her eating the last piece. And it seemed like he didn't.

"When're you going back to the temple?"

She thought about it briefly. By now, Katara would've already assigned chores to everyone, and with the most hated jobs – brushing Appa, cooking breakfast, and finding firewood for the next night – usually being done early in the morning to get them out of the way, now was as good a time as any to return. "Any time you're ready."

Zuko started, dousing the front of his shirt with soapy water. "You really want me to come back with you?" he asked, sounding genuinely astonished that she would want his company.

"Of course!" she chirped back, before her blank eyes took on a demonic glint. "With you there, Sugar Queen'll have someone else to bitch at instead of us." Another cool point for Zuko; he didn't tell her to watch her language.

He snorted, but rubbed at his shirt one last time with a towel before giving up on the sopping mess. "Uh.. can you turn around?" What did he...? "I _know _you can't _really_ see me, but it's still awkward to change with someone staring straight at you..."

She didn't really get the big deal, but she still turned around anyway, flopping onto the blankets and burying her head into the pile for good measure. And to think, Princey was a prude too...

* * *

Around the corner, Toph was getting bitched at for going after him and he burning her feet. From his vantage point behind a wide stone pillar, he could hear the waterbender – Katara – telling her that the burns were only superficial, and looked mostly healed already. _Thanks to him_, he thought savagely; even though he knew their anger was justified, he couldn't help but be offended at some of the words being used to describe him just out of sight. There was only so much he could take before he started to regret his decision to join them...

Still, he knew that if he were to have any chance at being accepted into their group, there'd be a lot of apologizing and ass-kissing involved. For as long as he hoped to stay with them, he would jump at the opportunity to do any of their chores, knowing that he was just a hare's breath away from being dumped back on the Fire Nation's doorstep. _Just like this morning_, he remembered. He had made Toph breakfast without having to be asked, and although the edges were darker than the still-squishy middle, his piece hadn't tasted too bad. No where near what his uncle could dish out, but he was learning. He was surprised to find that the prospect of learning how to cook and clean for others didn't absolutely horrify him as it would've a couple months before. Perhaps he was learning to be humble?

"We already told you, Toph," a clipped voice snapped, speaking as though talking to a very slow child, "Zuko's a _bad _guy. He does _bad _stuff. We can't have him near us."

"Katara's right," a deeper voice agreed. "Besides, what reason would he have for leaving the Fire Nation? He was a _prince_, in case you forgot! He could eat anything he wanted instead of scavenging like us! Why would he leave that?"

Toph's clear voice cut through their bickering, and Zuko felt as though she really understood him. "In case _you _forgot, I came from a rich family too, but _I _still joined you. Money isn't everything, and being with you guys feels more like home than that place ever did, and I'm actually _doing _something now. Maybe he's just lonely and wants some kind of purpose in his life too."

"_Riiight..._" Katara drawled sarcastically, and Zuko could imagine her staring Toph down with a raised eyebrow, hands on her hips. "Zuko's just _lonely_... That guy doesn't have a soul, he _can't _be lonely!"

"Well, he did seem pretty sincere when he asked to join us," Aang piped up, bolstered by Toph's unrelenting support of their once enemy.

Katara turned on the shorter girl like a snapping tigerturtle. "Why are you defending him?!"

"_Because he's not such a bad guy!_" Toph screamed back, getting seriously annoyed by then. "And I'm a human lie detector, and I know he was telling the truth when he said he was on our side now. Besides," she insisted, and Zuko peeked his head around the pillar just in time to see her poke the taller girl accurately in the solar plexus, "who do you think healed my burns before you did?"

Katara's mouth fell open, and any argument got trapped inside as she tried to process that statement. Finally she sputtered, "But only waterbenders can heal people!"

"Not with bending, with some kinda lotion stuff that smelled really good."

Even with Toph advocating him through every argument, it was still obvious that the others weren't comfortable with the idea of a potentially deadly snake in their midst. Sokka's hand was gripping his boomerang reflexively at just the thought of the other boy, Aang was nervously bouncing his weight from one foot to the other, and Katara's eyebrows were knitted in the center, right foot tapping slightly in agitation. Finally, she stepped forward slightly, placing a comforting hand on Toph's shoulder. A glint caught the edge of Zuko's good eye, and he tore his vision away from his unraveling future to find it's source.

"We know that you've changed your mind about him and we _respect_ that, but he didn't do as much to you as he did to us, to me. I'm sorry, but I know that _I _will _never _be able to forgive him." Somewhere in the back of his mind, Zuko knew that he should be feeling devastated by their rejection, but the majority of his consciousness was distracted by the shadowy figure of a large man stalking around the temple floor adjacent to theirs.

Ducking down to minimize his target area, Zuko glanced around to find the stealthiest path to where the man was. To his right were several narrow hallways and a wooden staircase that weren't easily visible to either the gaang or the intruder. Using the skills he had obtained from his time as the Blue Spirit, Zuko slipped down the hall to the staircase, leaping up to grab onto the edge of the floor over his head before flipping his body into an upright sitting position on the floor above. Wooden steps tended to swell and shrink with the rain, and it was easier just to assume that every stair would creak and give away his position.

"You can't think of a _single _person to teach Aang firebending, and when one shows up on a silver platter, you throw him away?!" Mentally Zuko reminded himself to have a little talk with Toph about how much her voice could carry. If this stranger could find them so easily, they shouldn't be advertising their location any more than they already were.

Standing and brushing off his lightweight crimson pants, Zuko spotted a window at the end of the green and gold painted hallway. From there he would have a perfect jump to the temple beside it. He cracked his knuckles and opened the window, stepping up into the ledge and sat on his haunches like a cat as he plotted the best possible place to land. There was a gap in the tile where a piece had probably broken years ago and never gotten replaced, and he knew the dirt patch would allow for a much quieter landing than it's stone neighbors, and he launched his body into the air, trying his best not to look down into the blackness below. His jump was executed as planned, and he came to a soundless rolling stop directly above the intruder. Leaning slightly over the edge of the roof, Zuko recognized the assassin he had set against the Avatar and his group.

The burly man was staring towards the main temple room and from his perch on the roof, Zuko could see the Avatar and his friends clearly. Below him the man began to tense, eyes narrowing and Zuko could feel the electric energy in the air as a small ball of white light began to form in front of the third eye tattoo on the man's forehead. Lined up directly with the Avatar. He had no time. _Fuck._

Launching himself at the charged man with a yell that he hoped sounded more intimidating than he _thought_ it did, Zuko landed on the man piggy-back style, a stray arm just managing to redirect the blast away from the unsuspecting group. Though he was struggling to hold on to the twisting man, he saw them running to take cover around the edge of the temple wall. A huge steel hand grabbed Zuko harshly around the arm and flung him off to the side with enough force to send him skidding across the stone and right off the side of the temple floor.

Hundreds of feet of black emptiness rushed up at him, and he reached out, desperate for anything to stop his fall. Suddenly a hanging vine snagged around his falling wrist and jerked him to a halt. Stifling a cry at the loud crack and sharp pain, he clung to the vine like a lifeline. Slowly he started to pull himself back up the vine, wincing every time he had to move his right hand.

Off to the side, a battle was taking place.

Toph was busy proving her title as the world's best earthbending master – hurling boulders nearly the size of herself at the assassin with astonishing speed and accuracy – while Katara sent tsunami waves crashing into the temple walls around him. He couldn't see the assassin, dangling from a vine under the temple, but he _could _see the white-hot blasts of superheated air he sent at the kids, crashing into the pillars and stone floor and sending bits of rubble flying everywhere.

From out of nowhere, a glint of metal flew up and struck the assassin directly in the third eye. He stumbled backwards and appeared disoriented. This time, when he tried to fire at them, nothing happened. Zuko smelt ozone. He ducked his head and gripped tighter to the vine, as an explosion rocked the earth around him. Black smoke billowed out from the source of the explosion – what was once a man – and all that was left was the steel gauntlet that fell to the chasm down below.

Finally, he reached the top of the vine. A small pale arm was extended in his direction, and he took it, hefting most of his weight up on his own despite the help. Zuko found himself coughing and panting weakly at Toph's feet, who was grinning down at him with a look that told him exactly what she thought of his _amazing rescue_. Three other pairs of feet came into his field of vision and he cringed, head hanging and waiting to be told to "get lost" again.

Instead, another hand was held out to him. "I never thought I'd say this but... thanks Zuko."

Zuko met the monk's warm gray eyes dumbly, mind slow in processing the soft-spoken words. His eyes flicked from the outstretched hand and back, unsure if the Avatar really wanted him to take it, if it was just a trap, if they'd change their minds once they got to know him, because deep down he knew that all he ever did was cause problems for everyone. Toph gave him an encouraging nod that said "take the damn thing, this is what I was fighting for, remember?" Slowly he reached up and grasped the smaller hand in his own.

The monk had more strength than he had thought, and before he could figure out what just happened, he was being marched up a flight of stairs and down that same hallway again. Toph was laughing with the boomerang man – Sokka – and the Avatar was staring like a lovesick calf at the watertribe girl, who Zuko just realized was in the middle of lecturing him.

"- and just because you're staying with us doesn't mean we accept you. You're just here to teach Aang firebending. And – hey! Are you even listening to me?!" He nodded so fast he could swear he heard something rattle around in his head. They came to a stop at the second-to-last door and the other three hung back, obviously unsure about how this was going to play out. Katara pushed open the door and stared at him expectantly. When he just stared at her wide-eyed she sighed, glaring at him and thrusting a finger into his bruised chest. "Yeah, it's not the Fire Palace, but this'll be your room for _however long _you're staying with us. Don't leave this room unless you ask one of us first; we can't trust you not to attack us."

Hurt, he stepped through the door and turned to face the hate-filled girl. "I'm not that person anymore, and I'm not going to betray you." The '_again_' went unsaid.

She just shook her head angrily, still unable to forgive that time in the caves. "Save it. Your words mean nothing to me." She turned to leave before spinning back around, hand gripping the knob with white knuckles and spat at him, voice all hisses and barely restrained fury, "We eat dinner in a couple of hours; maybe I'll send someone up with a bowl for you later if you're good." Then the door was slammed shut, locking him in the small room with nothing but his chaotic mind to distract him.

The subtle threat of starvation had most likely went over everyone else's heads, but to Zuko – it's intended victim – it rang clear as a bell. If he did one thing that seemed even remotely like treason, he wouldn't eat. And food was a good motivator.

* * *

There was nothing to do besides slide the low trundle bed across the floor, and even that got boring within minutes once Zuko had determined the sunniest patch of stone and moved the bed to that very spot. He sank bonelessly onto the worm mattress, and sneezed several times in a row when billows of mold scented dust rose up around him, dusting his black hair in white. He honestly hadn't expected the group to let him join them – even _with _Toph arguing on his side – and hadn't bothered to bring anything with him when they left the camp. So now he was stuck, bored in a dusty gold jail cell with little more than a decrepit mattress and the dust on the floor to occupy his time until dinner.

And he had never been a patient person.

Falling into the lowest pits of absolute boredom was a slow journey, and every activity he thought of only brought him one step closer to the depths of boredom hell. Every second ticked away at half speed.

Katara had forbidden him from leaving the room without permission – so he just needed to get someone's attention. But not hers, because she was scary.

Toph was a safe bet judging by how well they had got on when it was just the two of them, _but how to get her to come up here?_ She sensed vibrations, so... he just needed to make some pretty big ones then. Groaning and supporting his still throbbing side, he stepped off the bed and gripped the low metal frame in his left hand, right tucked close to his chest, still in the makeshift cast he had fashioned out of a spare bit of sheet once he had been left alone. A good shove sent it careening into the wall with an audible _**thump**_.

_She lives with the __**Avatar**__; I need to make more noise to get her to check up on me. _He pulled the bed away from the wall, then pushed it forward again, ignoring the metal clang of the frame against stone. Three more bashes and his door flew open; Toph standing in the doorway with her arms crossed.

"Did you _really _have to do all that? I _was _right downstairs, and a simple yell probably would've gotten my attention just as well..."

He blushed as he realized what a fool he looked like and ran a hand through messy black hair. "I was wondering if you could do me a fav–"

"What happened to your arm?" she stalked up to him, arm out, demanding to feel the injured limb. Of course he could never hide anything from here, what with her vibration-sensing talent.

Zuko brought his wrist closer to his chest protectively, "it's nothing, just a sprain I got when I fell off the temple floor."

Blind eyes saw through him and she leaned against the wall, again annoyed at him.

"If you're just gonna lie to me, I won't tell Katara to heal it," she threatened, although that just helped to make up his mind. Katara was almost worse than his sister, and if getting healed meant having her doing it, he'd rather stay injured. "Come on, it's not that bad. She can be a bitch, but she knows what she's doing when she heals people. It's what she does."

"It's really nothing, or at least, I've had much worse." _Why does every girl have to be so goddamn nosy?_ "The reason I was making all that noise though, was to ask you for a favor..."

* * *

And now their enemy was living in their house, eating their food, and teaching their Avatar firebending. _Well, he __**will **__be, once Katara's sure he's not gonna try to burn us all up in our sleep. _Sokka imagined the reformed prince sneaking up to his bedroll in the dead of night and using his creepy fire-magic to light his hair on fire, and he clutched at his wolf tail protectively. Oh no, there would be no hair-burning under his watch.

A muffled thumping noise came from above him and he looked up, bits of dust falling onto his face. Beside him, Toph looked annoyed and stood up, mumbling something about needing to check on her slave, before stomping up the stairs. He was pretty sure he didn't want to know what that was about. Another couple thumps sounded from above and the group ignored them, figuring that whatever it was, Toph would take care of it. Sokka just shrugged and turned back to the fountain, where Aang and Katara were practicing their waterbending. Katara was all flowing arms and water, while Aang stared after her like a sealpuppy, and it was at times like this when Sokka remembered that Aang – despite being the all powerful Avatar – was just a normal kid, and was prone to normal kid crushes.

Not that Sokka was too happy that his crush was on his sister.

But still, if his Katara was going to date anyone (which he didn't want her to do until she was married), he was glad that it was Aang. The kid was sweet and nice and could protect his sister, not that he would ever _have _to. That girl was fiercer than a mooselion.

"Great, Aang!" she congratulated the beaming boy, patting him on the shoulder. The swirling water settled back in the fountain around them. "Your stream was even more complex than Pakku's was, and we know how anal _that _guy was..." She still held onto her grudge against the man for refusing to teach her waterbending because she was a girl, and it was clear in her tense muscles and narrowed eyes. Sokka personally got that logic; someone as sweet and innocent as his sister shouldn't be fighting in this war. But still, to deny teaching girls a skill that could one day save her life was just as bad as sending her off to war without a weapon. Aang at least understood the compliment aimed towards him and mock-bowed, blushing pink at Katara's laugh. They both stepped out of the fountain and bended the water out of their clothes.

"It's nothing really," Aang confessed, rubbing embarrassedly at the back of his neck. "Waterbending's a lot like airbending, so it's pretty easy for me."

"But you're still really good at it. Don't sell yourself short, Aang."

"Thanks, Katara."

"The complement's nothing, Aang."

_Someone please knock me out with a frying pan or something?! _

Just because Sokka thought they were good for each other didn't mean wanted to watch them bat eyelashes and turn varying shades of pink and red. So instead, he decided to go check on their new 'housemate'. It'd been a few hours since they'd seen him last, and who knows what kind of trouble the Fire Nation Prince could've gotten into since then...

The stairs creaked as he walked up them, and again he cursed the worn out state of the temple. It would be much easier to sneak up on the other teen if the stairs didn't announce his presence to the world. Still, he made it to the boy's door without too making too much sound. Stealthy like a mongoosesnake, he gripped the doorknob, getting ready to throw open the door and scare the spoiled boy.

Unfortunately, the stars weren't aligned in his favor, and the door flew open, smacking him in the nose hard.

"Gotta watch out for them doors, they can be deadly."

Sokka groaned, holding his throbbing nose, and stepped back to let Toph through the doorway. She laughed all the way down the hall and down the stairs.

Zuko's room was smaller than the others' and was right next to Toph's so she could 'keep an eye on him'. Bare walls were painted a dusty gold, and the only piece of furniture was a dilapitated cot shoved against the far wall. It was practically a prison cell. All that was missing were the barred windows. The room's occupant was standing before the bed, startled, and unsure amber eyes flickered to him and away from beneath thick eyelashes. Suddenly Sokka realized that they'd never actually spoken to one another, and gestured for the other to take a seat on the bed. Zuko obeyed mindlessly, cringing as the swift movement jarred his ribs – a wince of his eyes that Sokka, a trained watertribe warrior, was quick to pick up on, despite not knowing the reasons behind it. Sokka situated himself on the floor in front of the bed so that he was staring up to the cross legged boy who was looking at him like some kind of foreign insect.

He figured he should start out with the pleasantries, seeing as there was little they had in common. "So... how do you like staying with the Avatar so far?" Mentally he smacked himself. _Of course he's not liking it! He doesn't have anything to do but sit and sleep, and he's been locked up in here for the last few hours._

But the other boy just sighed, leaning back against the wall and looked out the window to his right. Up close the scar looked smooth, and Sokka wondered what it might feel like to touch it. "It's... different... than what I'm used to, but you're all being surprisingly accommodating, so it _could _be worse." Sokka snorted at what he perceived was a joke, but the other teen ignored it and continued anyway. "Toph's very friendly, despite how tough she tries to act, and I've been given my own room, which is nice because everyone likes to have their own private space, and you've come to talk to me, or something..." Zuko was rambling slightly, and even though his eyes were still trained on the temples out the window, from his blush and fidgeting fingers Sokka imagined that the flustered boy was usually a very calm and methodical person. He was just very out of his element, and didn't know how to act around them yet. But Zuko was smiling a small contented smile that was surprisingly charming and contagious. Suddenly Sokka felt more confident in talking to their new ally.

He leaned back onto his palms, feeling the slightly gritty stone underneath. Zuko followed his every movement with his eyes, leaning forward over his crossed legs unconsciously to get a better view of the tanned boy. Sokka smiled. "You've been up here for a couple hours at least. I figured you could use the company."

Zuko's blush deepened and Sokka was beginning to think that was his natural reaction to any act of kindness. "If you don't mind. I know you guys don't like me or anything."

"Well, I don't think stalking us around the world is the best way to make friends with us." Zuko suddenly seemed to find his scraped and bruised knuckles interesting, and Sokka felt like he _had _to say something else, _anything _else – to get him out of that gloomy mood... "But I'm sure once we see that you really _have _changed, you'll be part of the group – our _gaang _if you will. We'll let you in our secret midnight meetings and give you the secret password to open the secret rooms that you can only go into once you're our friend." By now, Zuko was smiling again, amber eyes shining with mirth, and Sokka considered it a personal success. "Just wait," he confirmed with a satisfied sigh. "You'll see."

"But I thought you guys _found _this temple?" the other boy asked, rolling over to lay on his front on the bed, head resting on his crossed arms. "How would you know the passwords if this place has been abandoned for 100 years?"

Sokka paused for a second, pretending to think about the question. "You caught me. There is no password, we just use Aang's nifty air magic to open the doors. But I like to think that they won't open unless I say the magic words – _open-o el door-o_!"

"I think you mean 'abra la puerta'," Zuko mumbled into his arm. "I'm not sure if 'open-o's even a _word..._in _any _language..."

"You and your Fire Nation languages, but what about watertribe-ese? It could be a word where I'm from, you know," He scoffed at the pale boy. _Watertribe-ese? Oh yeah, I'm good..._

However, Zuko was just as skeptical as his inner-voice, and snorted into his arm – a kind of laugh/cough combo that surprised even him. The snort caused a startled chuckle, then giggle, until he broke out into small noises that shook his thin shoulders and sent his mop of raven hair down further into the safety of his arms to hide his laughter. The sight of the thinner boy actually _laughing _at something he said was so unexpected, yet strangely nice, that Sokka couldn't help but smile slightly to himself.

_That guy looks like a regular teen, not a cold-hearted war monger, _he thought to himself, and found he agreed with the obscure thought. Being invited to join the group had taken a huge load of stress off the prince's back, and Sokka had seen the other teen smile more in the last hour than he had in the whole time he had known the guy. Granted, they had been enemies, but still. Everyone had to smile sometime.

Maybe it was the way the wide collar slipped off white-pale and bony shoulders, or how his fluffy black hair stuck up in every direction, but Sokka couldn't help thinking that Zuko looked remarkably like a shy child; one who just needed some encouragement to smile and laugh like all the other kids his age. He tried to imagine what Zuko would've been like as a kid, but couldn't picture him without his infamous scar.

_How had he gotten that thing, anyway?_

Breaking off into small chuckles, Zuko pushed his bangs back out of his face with his right hand, but Sokka was distracted by the white cloth he could see wrapped tightly around the thin wrist.

_What the...?_

He reached out to get a better look – because he was a truly curious person at heart – but the limb was pulled away and out of sight before he could even touch it. Suddenly Zuko was closed off again, and when Zuko met his eyes, they were a dull gold that made Sokka long for the laughter again.

"I was just going to take a look," he told the skittish boy, annoyed at the other's distrust. "I wasn't going to _hurt_ you or anything, jeesh."

The fear and confusion swirling in his amber depths told Sokka that he thought he would do just that, and so Sokka was gentle and moved slowly as he reached out again for the injured wrist. This time Zuko let him take his hand. The wrappings were tight enough to be professional, and Sokka wondered how many times the other boy had had to bandage himself up after one of their numerous fights. _This could have been weeks old... did I do this? _Underneath the skin was the purple-black of a new bruise, and Sokka let out a breath he hadn't noticed he was holding. _It's only about a day old. So where did it come from then? _

He turned it over to see the other side and Zuko let out a small hiss at the pressure. _It's definitely broken. I'm amazed he can act like normal through the pain. _"I'll see if I can get Katara to heal this for you," he said, standing up and turning toward the door. "Just stay here and I'll be right back–" A hand grabbed his arm.

"Wait!" Sokka looked back towards the other boy, who was sitting up on his knees, head bent low but still grasping Sokka's arm in his uninjured hand. "I... I don't want to inconvenience you, and I'm sure your sister would rather stab me than heal me... Can we just – just sit here and talk for a bit or something?" Big gold eyes met blue and Sokka almost said yes – he'd just stay here if it meant Zuko would stop giving him those oh-so convincing puppy-kitten eyes – before he remembered the pained look the other boy had made when he had sat down earlier.

_Is his wrist really the only thing that's hurt?_

Gently he pulled away, looking anywhere than at that crestfallen face. "It needs to be looked at, or you'll never be able to teach Aang firebending. I'll be right back."

Then he left to go find his sister, feeling as though he was betraying his new friend.

* * *

Somehow, when she imagined Zuko as her servant, this is _not _what she had in mind.

For starters, it was usually the servant that ran the master's errands, not the other way around.

It wasn't as though she was opposed to doing good deeds – they built character and in her experience, good fortune. But she _was _teaching the Avatar earthbending, and she figured that that filled her quota for the year. Times maybe a thousand or so.

So when Sparky had asked, or more demanded, that she do him a favor, she was surprised to find herself saying 'yes' before she even thought of negotiating a price. _It's just something in the prince's voice_, she decided, _that kinda makes him seem like someone you'd wanna help. He's such a weakling. _

Now here she was, 'feeling' her way around the old campsite, looking for anything that Zuko might possibly want. He had only requested she bring back two things – his bag of clothes and a picture in a wooden frame – but she had things she wanted as well. The super thick and comfy blankets, for example. And Katara would like the pots and pans, as cooking food on heated stone was both stressful and took much longer than the metal. Aang would get a kick out of... well, nothing really. Princey was a gloomy guy who didn't have any toys or loud objects that Twinkle Toes would like. Sokka could probably find _some _use for the thick red tarp, though...

She'd already _liberated _the blankets, half his stash of food, and a pair of fingerless leather gloves when she heard a faint cracking, like that of a twig, come from the bushes. It's steps were close together and light, and from the shape the vibrations followed, she discovered a badgerfrog lurking on the outside of camp. The little guy hopped right past her like she was nothing more than a stick in the mud, and leaped up onto Zuko's bag. He seemed content to ignore her in favor of the warmth the canvas material brought, which was fine with her until she was ready to leave. Despite his small size, the badgerfrog was a good twenty pounds, and sitting atop an already overstuffed bag – she could hardly lift it.

Thankfully, most of the feeling had returned to her feet, and it was nothing to bend a pillar to slide along beside her. On second thought, she widened the pillar and sat atop it too. Three taps to the top created a perfect seat, and she was ready to go, badgerfrog and all. _Hey, if he really wants to come along, why stop him? At this point we're pretty much a refugee camp. Maybe if we're lucky the Fire Lord'll get jealous and wanna join..._

* * *

**AN: **Yeah I know, I'm evil. Taking so long, just to not even get to the healing part... oh well. I figured that I've dallied enough. On the bright side, my new course load is MUCH lighter and easier, and I'll have much more time to dedicate to this. So the next chapter will NOT take 10 days to right.

This one is 8,435 words long, which is less than the last chapter, but has considerably much more happening in it. Dialogue sucks, but hopefully it will get better. Maybe if I had a **beta **(hint hint) I could have someone to bounce ideas off of...

My ideal date to post my next chapter will be by Friday, but don't hold out on that. Reviews are amazing things though, and the more I get, the more motivated **_I _**get.

Next chapter will contain healing, some games, more sickness, and Zuko starts to notice something wrong with his firebending... see you then!


	6. Ch 5: The Priestess

**Date Completed:** 11 January 2009

**Pairing:** Sokka/Zuko beginnings. Yay. =]

**Disclaimer: **Not mine. Still. Darn.

**Summary:** When Zuko asked to join the Gaang and teach the avatar firebending, he mentioned that there was "not very much time left," and they assumed he meant until Sozin's Comet. But what if there was another restriction on his time –one he hasn't told anyone about? (Much angst, drama llama, and romance-smut. Oh yeah, and a good dosage of omg NOOO! )

**AN**: Ha, and a Katara POV even. I'm really getting into the extra POV's lately. But I feel it's necessary. I should get used to writing everybody... and Zuko gets dull to write for after a while. Maybe it's his pessimistic attitude (even though he's more of an optimist really. I mean, why else would he track the Avatar around the world for two years?), but I always feel down after righting for him. Toph on the other hand, is VERY fun. =]

**SOMETHING TO NOTE: **I recently had a hand injury [dog's teeth can be very sharp and very painful], and had to go to the hospital to get it looked at and such. So this chapter is later [and lamer] than I would've liked it to be. I had to cut it off at an awkward time, so I apologize. Next chapter should be better though as my hand will be starting to heal.

* * *

When their tribal warriors left two children to take care of a village of the elderly and very small children, both kids had to take on numerous new responsibilities to ensure survival through the harsh winter. Sokka learned how to hunt, fish, and be a man. After that fateful day, he stopped asking to share beds on stormy nights, stopped talking out his feelings when he was sad, stopped needing her... She could only watch her older brother grow up before her very eyes. Sometimes Katara envied how easily her brother had grown and matured to fill the gaping hole that the men had left in all their hearts. Old ladies would comment on how he did so much for the tribe, and how every day he was filling out and starting to look more and more like their father. All the ladies had told her was that she was lucky to have such a strong older brother to protect her. The children looked up to him too, as inspiration for what they would be when they were older, and scampered around his feet every day asking him to show them how to string a bow, how to set the hook, or how to properly tie a knot.

She wished she could ask how to deal with missing their father.

But one day Sokka brought home a miraculously large catch of salmontuna (because he just happened to fall into the corner of a hidden fishing pond), and the shaking and arthritis-riddled hands of the elderly women weren't up to the effort of cutting and cleaning of each slippery fish. Gran Gran had taken her hand and shown her the proper way to go about cutting into it – which portion of the fish had the most fat, where the eggs were and how to _not _cut into them because they stunk up the tent and turned her hands blue for days, figuring out how to divide it so that a single fish could feed the largest amount of people – and suddenly Katara didn't feel so useless in their small village.

Sure, she had always known that she could waterbend unlike her older brother, but without a proper teacher she couldn't do anything more impressive than swish puddles around. That wasn't a very useful talent in the arctic tundra.

When the Avatar had shown up and needed her help, she was quick to jump on the opportunity. Over the course of the next two years, she had continued to cook and clean for the ever-expanding group, offering her waterbending services to Aang when he started learning, then as a sort of motivator once he was well on his way to mastery. She was doing something amazing that would hopefully help Aang beat the Fire Nation and save the world.

She had never felt so important.

The Fire Nation had taken away her mother. And her father too, as they hadn't seen him since the day of Black Sun. Only their faith in their father's abilities kept them from thinking the unthinkable. And now they had one of the enemy – their very _prince_ – in their home, sleeping in their bed. Okay, so they weren't really their rooms or beds, but they were there first, and he was _invading _them. Like he had invaded their tribe.

Giving the stew one last stir for good measure, she leaned over and sniffed at the meager findings of squirrelviper and assorted nuts that Sokka had collected after their first confrontation with their new house guest. The squirrelviper was sweet and the nuts were rather shriveled – and she had no way of knowing whether or not it was fully cooked without testing it herself – but it otherwise _seemed _edible. _Maybe I should have __**Zuko **__try it first. At least then it won't be a big tragedy if this is poisonous..._

She ladeled out half a serving into a wooden bowl, intending to do just that. Vaguely she wondered if this meant she was a bad person.

Suddenly, her brother came flying down the stairs so fast she was surprised he didn't fall and break his neck. Still, he tripped over his own feet and if the other foot wasn't already nearly on the next stair, he would've came tumbling all the way down. She just watched him with the same raised eyebrow that was so common around her klutzy sibling. He ran up to her, gasping and bent over, grasping his knees. He looked up at her with steely blue eyes and she knew it was important.

"Katara!" he yelled, despite standing a foot or two away from her. "You've gotta come quick. It's Zuko."

She let out a huff, temper rising from just the sound of _his _name. "What'd he do _this _time?"

"Ugh. Nothing! It's just– I think something's wrong," he threw up his arms, stalking out of the room even as he continued talking to her. A moment later he came back, toting the small, barely used pack containing their medical supplies. Her mind flew off in a million directions – _what does Sokka need the first-aid kit for? Did the spoiled prince hurt someone? Was Aang okay? _– and she found herself pulling the bag from his arms, practically sprinting up the stairs herself. Sokka trailed behind, still winded from his earlier run to come get her, and she could hear his heavy breathing getting farther and farther away the closer she got to Zuko's new room.

If she had expected billowing flames and smoke clouds to be dominating the hallway, she was mistaken. Toph and Zuko's hallway was identical to how it looked when they deposited the prince there earlier; the only difference being the direction of the shadows the setting sun threw across the gray stone. A particularly impressive orange ray lit up most of his door, and Katara paused in front of it. Behind the serene looking door lay their biggest threat, and she didn't want to go in unarmed. A thumb found the cap to her water pouch, and it slid off smoothly into her palm.

Behind her, Sokka's panting finally started to catch up, and a sturdy hand clasped her shoulder, blue eyes like hers asking if she was alright. She pushed the hand off and threw open the door.

The only person in the room was Zuko.

"Wha– What did you _need_, Sokka?" Her older brother glanced at her water pouch before gesturing behind her with pointedly looking eyes.

"Well, I _did _grab the first-aid kit, didn't I?" he grumbled, stalking up to the other boy and plopping down next to him on the bed, much to the surprise of the pale boy already sitting on it. Zuko tensed up and tried not to stare at her brother, but was failing miserably as he glanced over 'discreetly' every half a second. Sokka ignored the other boy's discomfort, grabbing the bottom hem of the prince's shirt and started pulling it up. A spot of purple peeked through.

"What the _hell_?!" Zuko squawked, reeling back until he was on the other side of the bed, holding his shirt down with his left hand. "How _dare _you try to–"

"Help you?"Sokka interrupted, reaching out and grasping Zuko's right arm by the elbow, pulling the boy closer to him. "Katara, will you come here for a sec? I need you to do some of your heal-y magic, okay?"

The soft tone cut through the fog that invaded her mind, and she stepped over to them, tentatively sitting on the edge of the bed as far away from Zuko as she could. He looked just about as uncomfortable as she felt.

Sokka took the wrist gently in his hand and Katara noticed that a strip of cloth was tied around the limb tightly, like a makeshift cast. Briefly she wondered how she had looked over that earlier. Usually she was the observant one...

Her brother pulled back the end of the strip and she almost gasped at the lurid purple-black bruise that covered most of the thin wrist.

A stain of purple was pooled around his inner arm, crawling up towards the his fingers and the top of his hand, and while this was disturbing, it was not what Katara was worried about.

_Not worried, just **sickened **of. I don't care what happens to **him**._

For about a two-inch long section of skin around the wrist bone, there was no purple. Instead, the circle of skin was paper-white, as though it was filled with some kind of pus. Hesitantly she reached, out, placing a few fingers on the white patch. Zuko yelped and pulled his arm back, only to be stopped by Sokka's strong grip on his elbow. Katara, however, didn't need to examine it again; the white wasn't pus, it was the fractured bone pushing up against his skin from the inside. She nodded towards the first-aid kit and Sokka rushed up to get it, leaving the injured boy free to scoot backwards against the wall and away from her. She made no move to stop him.

Before her, the Fire Nation boy sat, knees to his chest and wrist held close to the safety of his body. His eyes were panic-wide, although he gazed out over her left shoulder with a blank look that rivaled Toph's. His breaths came fast and shallow. It was obvious that the new pain to the wound was sending him into shock. Every muscle and fiber of her body screamed at her to do something – to comfort this boy who was hardly much older than herself – and she nearly did before she remembered who he was. What his country had done. What _he _had done. What he would probably do _again _if given the chance.

Being a younger sister, she had never had the opportunity to play mother to anyone. When she had joined Aang, then Toph soon after, she had taken advantage of their younger age. Sure, she continually _tried _to boss Sokka around, but he was finally growing a backbone and standing up to her. She wasn't quite sure if it was because he was brave or just plain stupid, but she still felt the loss of a mind out of her control.

So it was perfectly normal that she'd want to play mom to the injured and exiled son of their enemy, regardless of the fact that he had tried to kidnap and attack them on multiple occasions.

That didn't mean that she _liked _what her subconscious was telling her to do. It seemed as though seeing Zuko as a real living, breathing, _hurting _human had broken down some of the rock-hard walls she had constructed to separate his deceiving ways from her soul. She tried to think of him as just some other boy – someone who had been hurt that she could help – instead of the heir to the Fire Nation throne. At least then it would be understandable for her to care for her patient.

Looking away from the quivering boy on the bed, she reached for her water pouch – only to realize it was still open, the cap in her other hand. A stream of water flowed out of the bag and hovered in the air as Sokka finally returned with the medical sack. He tossed it onto the bed and began digging through it, shoving medicines out of the way – some even falling off the bed entirely. Then he found the medical tape, and all that was left was to wrap the boy's arm in it.

_As if that's going to be an easy task..._

Like his sister, Sokka was also battling with the falling idea of who the firebender really was. For two years the exiled prince had chased him and his sister across the world on a fruitless hunt for the Avatar. Then there was the sweet, semi-innocent boy Katara had sworn was a lie back in the crystal caves – the one they were starting to see again now. This put Sokka on edge. If his good guy act had been just an act back then, what was the difference between then and now?

And here in front of him was a completely different Zuko. The human Zuko, who could feel pain like anyone else.

_Well, at least now we know that firebenders **aren't **invincible_, he thought to himself as he handed the tape over to Katara.

"Can you hold him still for me?" she demanded. "He'll probably struggle a bit when I touch his arm again."

_Now how to do this... _Katara needed to be able to get at his arm, but he didn't want the comatose boy to freak out on his sister, so that meant he needed to get him by the chest... He wasn't the plan guy for nothing, and with gentle hands he gripped the boy under the arms and hauled the unresponsive boy back against his own chest, between his own legs.

_Oh wow, he's really warm! That makes sense though, seeing as he's a firebender._

Heat practically radiated from the pale boy. Most of Sokka's chest and his inner thighs – where Zuko's thin body came into contact – simply _itched _with warmth, and he couldn't help but pull the boy against him more. Anything to feel more of that comforting heat...

A cough to his side brought him back down to Earth, and Sokka hid his blush at her raised eyebrow by ducking his head. Unfortunately that only brought him closer to the raven's hair, and the spicy scent of warm cider filled his nose. His heart pounded, and to his shame he was getting slightly aroused by the warm weight pressed so flushagainst his lap. But his sister was sitting less than a meter away, so he couldn't afford to let his cheeks burn and give away his predicament. She was too young to understand that proximity bred arousal, and did _not _want this to be the way for her to learn. He would just have to ignore it.

But it was hard (in more ways than one) when the boy was pressed up against his front.

Katara pulled the swirling water tight around her hands like gloves and brought them, shakily, to the firebender's wrist. This time Zuko didn't fight against them, and slumped back against his chest, sighing from the soothing coolness of the water. A raven head dropped back against his shoulder, exposing a long expanse of smooth, pale neck. Too much like Suki's... Sokka groaned, shifting around to try and find a more _comfortable _position.

"Alright... I think this is as good as I can heal it for now," Katara sighed, pulling away and bending the water back into her bag. "Pass me the tape."

"Yeah, just a.. sec..." he leaned back, blindly reaching for the bag, trying not to disturb the other boy. The other boy who was _sleeping_, judging by the even breath against the side of his neck. He closed his eyes in concentration and his fingers found the rough material of the roll. He grinned in success. "Ha! Found it–"

"Sokka– don't move."

Katara was staring, transfixed, at the firebender's side. Sokka looked down to where the crimson shirt had slipped up. _Exposing the bruise underneath. _

"I _knew _he was hurt somewhere else too!" A glare from his sister told him that this was probably _not _the right time for his stubbornness, and he made a mental note to pay more attention to his instincts in the future.

Nimble fingers plucked at the silk-covered dragon fastenings, and the shirt fell away, uncovering even more black and purple.

_Make that **bruises**_, he thought sardonically.

Gently he worked at wrapping the now yellow and green splashed wrist while his sister applied her water magic to the numerous splotches of black and blue that decorated the boy's side. Zuko didn't wake – probably because he was more _unconscious _than asleep – and when he was done he cast a critical eye on his work. Working with his patient against his chest had made it more difficult, but the cast was strong and steady, if a bit lumpy.

_Not bad given the circumstances._

Katara finished at about the same time, and pushed her bangs out of her face with a shaking hand. The bruises had faded to a disturbing yellow-gold, but there wasn't much else they could do for him at this point. Rib wrappings were notorious for making movement difficult, and they were positive that Zuko wouldn't appreciate being confined to a bed for the next week or two. He would just have to be careful not to jar anything for a few days.

Outside the open windows, the sun was setting low in the sky.

"That's all we can do for him now," Katara said with a tone of finality, standing up and brushing the dust from the old mattress off her pants. "I'm gonna go see if I can salvage dinner. You should let him rest." She walked over to the door, placing a hand on the decaying molding. "I doubt if he'll even remember this in the morning."

Then she was gone.

Sokka glanced down at the boy in his lap. The setting sun painted the room in hues of orange and red, and in that light Sokka could admit that the Fire Nation Prince looked almost vulnerable. High cheekbones, downy hair, soft skin. The face of royalty, or of a child. Something any man would want to protect.

He set the teen down on the bed, suddenly feeling ashamed at the decrepit state of the room for some reason he couldn't explain.

* * *

The pain was fading by magical hands and he was being cradled by a soft, warm chest and strong arms. Soft voices conversed overhead, but he ignored them for the most part. They were just mumblings, and he needed concern himself with such things. Especially when he felt so comfortable...

Those warm arms receded and Zuko fought through the fog to try to call them back. He _needed _them to keep him safe, keep him warm.

But sleep tickled at the edges of his mind, and he found himself drifting down the river Styx in Charon's swaying boat, drifting off into oblivion. He could almost feel a soft hand carding through his hair as the voyage took him farther from consciousness, a small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

For the first time in years, Zuko felt completely at peace, and he welcomed the setting sun.

* * *

It was amazing – what a difference a day could do in healing burned feet. In no way were they up to the level they were at before, but the hard flaky layers were chipping away with every step and she could sense any movement from up to twenty feet away now. She could build – and maintain – a moving rock column for the whole trip back to the temple, or at least she _hoped _she could. _Because it would __**suck **__to have to walk all the way back on tired legs. Why did I get talked into this again? Damn pathetic-sounding firebenders..._

All her life her parents had tried to keep her like a pet, holed up in a cage of rooms and enclosed courtyards. They hadn't wanted to ever believe that their little girl could ever grow up, much less to grow into such a strong-willed and strong-headed earthbending master. So she had kept her true talent hidden from them.

Then one day some kid had knocked her off her high pedestal and shown her how to truly be a kid. How to _live_. Him and his followers had been so unique – so different from the monotonous characters of the storybooks her parents insisted the maids read to her – that she just _had _to go with them. And she hadn't regretted it once. Sure, there were those who wanted to put an end to the Avatar and his companions, but they were usually untrained lackeys to the Fire Nation that did nothing but keep her earthbending a fine-tuned machine.

Except for Zuko.

The exiled prince had had the experience and talent, and every fight involving him had left their group tired and on the run, often nursing battle wounds. Not that he ever came away unscathed either...

Still, it was weird to think that this same guy just decided he didn't want to fight for his country anymore. Especially right after he had just been invited home again. If it weren't for the fact that she could _feel _that he was telling the truth, she would've instantly believed it a trap. She couldn't help but feel a bit sorry for the rest of the group; they weren't human lie detectors and had to go off her word that he was honestly a good guy now. Sure, they could see with their eyes the color of the sky or know the shape of a rock without touching it first – something she did, albeit rarely, feel envious about – but it couldn't be _anything _to being so in tuned with the Earth around her that she could feel the vibrations of a squirrel eating a nut a hundred yards away.

But that was beside the point. Because of the protective way her parents had treated her, she had tried to act tougher to compensate for it. _She _would be the protector from then on. And ironically enough, despite how much she had hated being treated like a fragile doll, someone with a sweet voice or weakness made her go a big softie.

And that was why she was running the ex-prince's errands.

Then again, she didn't do anything without it somehow benefiting her, and she came away from it with new bedding and gifts for the rest of the gang.

Her stone chariot came to a controlled stop before the fountain and sank back into the ground. To her left, Sokka and Katara cut off their argument mid-sentence, and she raised her eyebrow at them. It wasn't like it was the first time she had walked in on them arguing. Sugar Queen threw her arms up with a huff and stalked off, presumably to go find Aang, like she always did when she was upset. Or pissy. Or in any mood other than a generally happy one. Sokka sat down heavily on the edge of the fountain and sunk his head into his hands.

_Uh oh. What happened now?_

"Oi, Snoozles! Who shoved the stick up _her _butt, huh?"

He rubbed tiredly at his eyes with both hands. "It's nothing. It's just– Zuko was hurt or something, and we had to help him out. It was pretty bad. We're just not in a real good mood right now, ok?"

"Oh..." hadn't she hurt him the day before? "What was wrong with him?"

"Broken wrist, sprained ribs... he's unconscious upstairs if want to see him. I know you two are... close..."

Toph scowled at the implying tone, but figured she'd go and see Sparky anyway, seeing as it was _her _fault he was injured. "He's kinda like my slave. My _property _I guess. And the Bei Fong's keep their property close."

She walked over to the stairs, punching the downtrodden boy hard in the shoulder on her way past. He huffed, but knew better at this point than to fight her on her choice methods of greeting people she liked.

"Oh yeah, and you better put that stuff away before Sugar Queen comes back and sees a mess all over her hard-cleaned floor."

Behind her the 'warrior' groaned, and she took off up the stairs, laughing all the way.

* * *

_Heaven was a wide, cylindrical white room with ceilings so high they faded into the brightness of the light streaming through the many frosted windows._

_Or at least, he assumed it was heaven, because his mother sat before him._

_She was seated at a low mahogany table, much like the one in her tearoom, facing him. He stepped forward, and felt the soft swish of silk against his legs – white silk, like his mother's. Ursa smiled knowingly and nodded towards the mat that seemed to appear before his eyes. It was just as comfortable as it looked._

"_My son, how you've grown," she she reached out, running a finger along the edge of his jaw. The touch was cool, but comforting, and he leaned into it._

"_Mother– I've missed you so much. I don't know what to do without you!"_

_She rose from her seat, and he nearly cried out at the loss of contact, but then she was coming closer, sitting down in a chair that suddenly appeared beside him, wrapping her arms around him and pulling his head to her chest as he broke down – dissolving into sobs, arms tight around her neck. Fingers carded lightly through his hair, and he sighed, breathing in the faint scent of lilac that had always been his mother since as far back as he could remember. _

"_You've never lived an easy life, Zuko. From infancy no one thought you'd make it, but you surprised them, didn't you?" She pulled back slightly and tipped his chin up to look into tear-filled amber eyes. "Look at you now – a strong young man, finally on the path to completing his destiny."_

_Zuko ducked his head away, remembering the two wasted years chasing after the Avatar. Chasing the idea of belonging with his family. His chest burned and brought on a whole new wave of tears that his mother took up easily into the neck of her white silken robe. "But I still don't know – I mean, I feel like I'm doing the right thing, but how do I know?"_

"_You know because you feel that this is right. You're helping the world now, my son. You have a purpose for being with young Aang, and you're going to make a big difference in everyone's lives. You just have to persevere, even when things get harder, because all suffering has a greater purpose, you understand?" He nodded even though he didn't. She pulled away again and shook his shoulders, gold meeting gold and he couldn't look away. "I know everything is confusing right now, but you must be patient. All things will be explained in time..."_

_The light grew brighter and brighter until he had to cover his eyes,_ and he jolted awake, the dark outlines of his room slowly coming into focus.

"Mother..." Already, the details of his dream were slipping through the fingers of his consciousness like smoke, impossible to catch no matter how much he wished he could. All he could remember was the soothing warmth of her embrace and important words, spoken as though through a fog. _Something about pain and patience...? _

Outside his window, the faintest hint of pink was playing on the horizon, and he knew that sleep would not be returning that morning.

* * *

The next few days were awkward, the gaang having no idea how to react to this intruder in their midst (sans Toph of course, who ordered him about at any and all hours of the day), and Zuko trying his best to stay out of everyone's way. This wasn't hard as no one went out of their way to make friends with him either. He was finally allowed out of his room (after Sokka had complained that they were treating him like an animal, something Zuko appreciated greatly), and he took advantage of his newfound freedom. As a firebender, he had always arisen with the sun, but lately he found himself plagued with nightmares, and was often awake well before dawn, despite his body's protests. The sun's first light found him doing stretches on the lowermost floor of their tower, where he discovered received the most direct rays from the sun.

A sort of lethargy had settled among his bones, slowing his Kata work and his fighting impulses. He no longer felt pressured to retort to Katara's sarcastic comments about his ancestry, or Sokka's poking and prodding around his ribs and wrist. Which he had woken the day after injuring to find wrapped heavily in gauzy tape and feeling much better than it would usually. He wasn't stupid, and knew the watertribe warrior had mentioned his stiff posture to his sister, who had helped heal him. Even though he couldn't remember anything more than soft hands and soothing coolness...

That next morning Katara had awoken to find all the morning chores completed, and if her attitude had warmed towards him in the slightest, he didn't make any mention of it.

He had even begun to attempt to teach the Avatar firebending. Attempt, because the boy was too busy trying to make sure Katara was watching him that he only heard about half of what Zuko was telling him.

"For the last time, Avatar, it's breath _out _as you punch, not in! Ugh, this is useless!" Zuko threw out his arms, ignoring the steam that rose from his fingertips at the action. He had spent the last _hour _coaching Aang on how to breathe as he bended, so as to not accidentally burn himself. Personally, he'd never seen anyone get injured from incorrect breathing, but it had been something Uncle had drilled into his head ever since he was a young boy, and figured it'd be a good place to start with Aang as well. However, Aang wasn't nearly as receptive to his tutelage as he had hoped.

"I'm an _airbender_! I would think I know how to _breathe_, okay?!" Aang retorted, pacing back and forth in front of the fountain. Toph and Sokka– who had seated themselves across the room to watch the spectacle that was Aang's firebending lessons – watched the exchange with mild interest, while Katara perched on the edge of the fountain, hands poised as a ready fire extinguisher should the need arise. "Besides, I already heard all of this from Jeong Jeong, and he didn't help me _at all!_"

Sokka, perhaps getting annoyed at their arguing, piped up, "Maybe what we – I mean _he_ – needs to see is some class-A fiery magic. Give him a show, will ya?"

"Yeah!" Toph agreed, sitting up from her slouched position against a nearby column as though to better 'see' the promised flames.

He had no reason not to agree, and after a quick glance to the overprotective watertribe girl – who gave an affirmative nod – he shed his shirt and stepped into the center of the '_bending circle_' Sokka had etched into the floor as a makeshift dojo or boxing ring. The bruises across his chest were mostly gone by now, and the cast had been removed two days before. Everyone's eyes were on him, but he was a prince.

He was _used_ to being the center of attention.

Sanchin stance, step forward into into horse, then sumo, and finally a quarter spin – more for show than any real purpose – and finish off with a punch laced with burning, devouring fire.

Or at least that was how it was supposed to go.

The roaring inferno had apparently not gotten the memo, for all he got from his effort was a puff of smoke and a small flame, barely bigger than that of a large candle.

Behind him was polite clapping, but he ignored it in favor of inspecting his hands. Smooth, pale white skin, ten fingers, and working digits. Nothing unusual. His firebending had never failed him before... Even _with_ his injured wrist, his flames should have been more impressive. Maybe he wasn't putting enough effort into it?

"I may be blind, but even _I _could tell that was weak."

"Yeah," Katara agreed. "I may not like the idea of you firebending so close to us, but Aang needs to learn _some _way. Don't hold back on our account."

He shook his hands and got back into a steady stance. "Yeah... alright. Just don't soak me when it gets hot in here."

This time he foregone the showy moves in favor of a simple punch, pushing everything he had into one massive burst of energy. There was a streak of flames, but still not the intensity he had wanted to display. Aang seemed enthused enough though, and Sokka and Toph were much more sincere in their applause. He, however, felt as though his legs were cooked noodles, and a faint ringing flooded his ears.

He stumbled to the nearest bench, which just so happened to be holding the older male audience member, and sank down onto it, breathing heavily. Sokka raised an eyebrow at him, nudging him in the shoulder with a muscular arm.

"Hey, Zuko, you alright?"

He nodded, regretting the motion as his vision swam. "I-I'm fine... I just... need to rest... for a moment..." for some reason, he couldn't catch full breaths, and each breath was shallower than the one before it.

"Oh shit," the other teen cursed, allowing him to lean on his shoulder, "you're probably still too hurt to do any real exercise yet. You should be resting!"

Zuko snorted, sitting up straighter as his mind started to calm down around him. "I'm fine. Like I said, I just needed to rest. Dealing with you people takes a lot out of a person, you know..."

"Well it's not like you're Mr. Prince Charming either, _Your Highness_," Katara snarled, dragging Aang and Toph off to go work on some other important bending skill that would hopefully help save the world one day. Just like he planned.

Sokka gave him one last skeptical glance before following after his sister.

The fountain's trickling water was the only witness to his frustration.

* * *

Step, punch, _huff_.

Step, punch, _groan_.

Step, punch, _si_–

"–Zuko, maybe you should take a break for a little bit..." Aang suggested from somewhere behind him.

Zuko ignored the advice, throwing his body forward once again to little success. "I can't just sit here _idle _like you people can." S_tep, punch, and again no fire. Just smoke. _"I need to be _doing _something or I'm gonna go _**crazy**_!"

He'd been practicing a simple firebending punch for nearly two hours now, and although he was able to create fire at will, it was taking nearly three times as much energy as it had before he had joined the gaang.

The younger boy stepped up and placed a comforting hand on the elder's shoulder. "I think Sokka was right; you're just getting over some pretty bad injuries. If you keep pushing yourself, you're going to end up hurting yourself." Zuko shoved the hand off his person and bent into a front stance once again. Aang sighed. "The monks used to say that inward chi cannot be maintained unless physical strength is constantly replenished."

"And Fire Nation priests had a quote too – continuous effort is the key to unlocking your potential."

"But Zuko," Aang pleaded, pushing his fist down with both hands, "I don't think they'd tell you that if they could see you right now. What you need is _rest_!"

He jerked away from the monk, looking anywhere but at those wide gray eyes. "What I _need _is to figure out what's wrong with my firebending!" Fists clenched, and every muscle in his body was tense in trying to keep his breathing even. Tears prickled at the corners of his eyes. The other boy let his hands drop, stepping away from the frustrated teen.

"Alright. But just remember... we're here for you, you know..."

Zuko scoffed, turning towards the now setting sun. The air was getting cooler, and he could almost feel it in his soul, like the dying sun was killing a little piece of it's heart as it went down. He could imagine Katara's sneer if he tried to go to her with anything, or the guffawing laugh of Sokka should he try to have a 'manly chat' with him. Toph and Aang were different, and he was finding that the younger kids were much more accepting to him; Aang followed him around most of the temple like a newborn deercalf (which annoyed Katara), and Toph routinely sought him out to help her with little things like making a more comfortable seat near the fire (despite the fact that she could bend one in less than a breath's time) or in fluffing up her newly liberated bedding (which _also _annoyed Katara for some strange reason). Personally he thought that the thought of _anyone _wanting to spend time with him annoyed her. Because that would imply that she didn't have absolute control over everyone anymore.

* * *

_This dusty bed isn't really so bad_, he decided, curling up under the worn covers. _Much better than in Ba Sing Sei, at least. It's so much quieter here... I could just sleep forever..._ Sure, every breath in brought in just as much dust as air, but the room was dark and cool, and the lumpy mattress was like a cloud after hours of stressful firebending practice. He pressed his burning cheeks into the rough cotton, snuggling down as deep into the blankets as he could get. He was just so _tired..._

Footsteps clicked down the hall, and he ignored them in favor of the suffocating darkness. Whoever it was was probably just going to Toph's room. Or getting something out of any of the other rooms that they used as storage. Or going for an evening walk, anywhere but to his room.

There was a click, followed by the swishing of dust being disturbed. A stream of warm light fell across his closed eyelids and he groaned, pulling the blanket up over his head. _What did they want now?_

"Z-Zuko?" a voice called out softly, thick in it's effort to remain quiet. "You awake?"

_If I **wasn't **I certainly would be **now**..._

He didn't respond, praying that the other boy would give up and just leave him alone. Agni apparently thought it'd be funnier to ignore his wishes, and Sokka crept closer, bare feet stepping on nearly ever creaky board as he went.

"Katara made dinner... aren't you hungry?"

All illusion of sleep abandoned, he pushed back the blanket from his face with a huff and leveled the other boy with a tired glare. "I _was _trying to sleep, so _no_, I'm not hungry. Why don't you go annoy Aang or something?"

Sokka frowned and sat on the edge of his bed. "You didn't eat anything all day. You've _got _to be hungry by now. It's not like we'd poison you or anything, jeesh."

"I was too _busy _to eat," he breathed, staring up at the ceiling as though it was it's fault the other boy wouldn't leave. "And what's it to _you_, anyway?"

"I'm just trying to be _polite_, something _you _apparently can't do." He sat back on the bed crossed legged, and placed a small wooden board between them. "Well if you don't want to eat, at least play a game with me or something."

Zuko hadn't even noticed that the boy had had anything in his hands. Sokka was stealthier than he had thought.

"Fine," he sighed, sitting up against the headboard, crossed legged like the boy before him. "But what's that for?"

A smirk lit up Sokka's face, and Zuko regretted asking. "This, my friend, is a mancala board. It's a game played with marbles and the only talent needed is intelligence."

"So it's a game even _you _can play then, hm?"

"Hey!" Sokka scowled, before he recognized the backhanded compliment. "Yeah, I guess."

He dropped four marbles into each of the twelve grooves along the board's surface. "This is my side, and that's yours. The object is to get the most marbles into this big dug-out on your end. But you can only grab marbles from one dip, dropping one into each groove as you go. If the last marble drops into a groove with more marbles in it, you grab those and keep going. Otherwise, you stop there and it's the other player's turn. Comprende?"

"Yeah, sure. I guess..." Zuko scooped up four of the marbles, dropping one into each groove he passed. After two times around the board, the last marble landed in an empty groove, and he looked to Sokka for confirmation. The other boy nodded with a smile.

"Not bad," he admitted, "for a beginner. You can't forget: this is a game of planning and intelligence. Don't feel bad when I whoop your butt."

Zuko scowled, but pulled up a pillow behind his back to get comfy as Sokka played his turn. The other boy obviously knew what he was doing, and ended his round after nearly ten trips around the board, hoarding eight more marbles than Zuko had.

_So it's all in where you start, eh?_

He inspected the grooves on the board, and mentally tallied up how many marbles he could accumulate per which one he started with. Sokka raised an eyebrow, amused, but didn't interrupt. The other boy knew the importance of a good plan.

"I'll make you eat your words yet," Zuko bet, finally choosing a groove. By the end of the turn, he had surpassed Sokka, and the other boy was already planning his next assault.

When the game had came to a close, Sokka had beaten Zuko by one marble, and both boys were feeling much more comfortable around each other.

"You girls done bonding yet?"

They looked to the door, where Toph was leaning, 'observing' the laughing boys with a smirk on her face. She stepped away from the door frame with a slight swing of the hips and rested her hands on her hips. Much like Katara was so prone to doing. She pointed at Sokka.

"Your sister's throwing a hissy fit looking for you," she informed him, "and if you leave her with Aang in that kind of mood, it's bound to cause all kinds of trouble." A grin, and she looked all too happy at the idea of mischief and mayhem. "You should let her know you're still alive though, or she won't make you any food."

"Damn, and it's stew tonight, too." Sokka rose from the bed with a sigh, cracking his back and giving a little wave to the boy left alone on the bed.

* * *

After Sokka left the room with the promise of returning with food, he had collapsed against the wall with a sigh. There was just _something _about the other boy that made him want to get closer, made him want to feel that silky white skin, map out that infamous scar. And those were the more _innocent _thoughts running through his head.

It was official. He was losing his mind.

Sex, in the watertribe, wasn't as _ceremonial _as he knew it was in the other nations. That wasn't to say that they would share intimacy with anyone who called, but it wasn't uncommon for a man to share his bed with more than one woman at different times, or for a woman to seek the comfort of different men depending on her mood. Sex was an act of pleasure, one that could help the village flow much smoother. For example, when a man was ..._satisfied_ … he would be less likely to start fights or storm off trying to prove himself.

There _was _a reason that the watertribe was considered the most easygoing of the four nations.

And it was also the norm for the men at sea to seek sexual relations with one another during their long absences from home. Therefore, it was perfectly natural – at least in Sokka's mind – for him to feel _lust _towards the newest member of their team.

Not only was Zuko quite the unique commodity with pale white skin that never seemed to tan, but he also had ink black, silk-like hair and eyes like melted gold as well. Throw in his scar and he was someone who was both unforgettable, and someone you'd never _want _to forget. Plus, he was the only person sans family who was his age in the vicinity.

_It's been __**way **__too long since I've seen Suki. _

The only problem with his attraction to the other boy was that it was _Zuko_. The boy who hunted them and betrayed them before.

Sure, he _said _he was on their side now, but that was in no way proof. Also, he was Fire Nation, and what little Sokka knew about sex in their culture told him that relations between two men would _not _be tolerated. So it would be completely understandable for the sexually-challenged boy to freak out when confronted with the idea of casual sex between friends. It would be best then to keep his attraction secret.

* * *

Another wave crested in his abdomen, and he leaned over the porcelain bowl, chest heaving as his meager dinner forced itself up and out of his body. He groaned, leaning his burning forehead against the cool stone wall. Every muscle ached, and his head spun every time he moved. If his throat wasn't aching so much, he would've considered calling out for help. Surely Katara would help even _him _if she could see how sick the slightest bit of food was making him. Or at least heal him so he wouldn't make more of a mess to her living space.

He had _tried _to eat the thick watertribe stew – really, honestly tried – but he had gotten down only a few bites before his stomach started rolling and he knew he had to stop. But the rolling beast had turned into a cascading dragon, and he had excused himself from the group with some feeble excuse about needing to set up his things in his room.

A moment later he had been throwing up his guts into an abandoned bathroom.

Something wet dribbled out of the corner of his mouth, and he brushed away the dark red with his sleeve with a sigh. _Something _was definitely wrong.

* * *

**AN: **Alright. Another chapter done. And we have some turmoil this time. Yay.

Forgive the lateness.. and shortness... of this chapter. My hand's already feeling better slightly, and the next one should be coming much quicker. At least things are starting to _happen _now. I'm really enjoying this.

This chapter was 8,614 words long.

Next chapter's totally blank for me. It'll be interesting, that's for sure, but I left this next one open to suggestion, or whatever pops into my head at the time. But hopefully we'll get to the Dragon Masters soon...

See you then!


	7. Ch 6: Calm Before the Storm

**Date Completed:** 23 January 2009

**Pairing:** Sokka/Zuko

**Disclaimer:** I don't have them in my grasp yet, but it's only a matter of time...

**Summary:** When Zuko asked to join the Gaang and teach the avatar firebending, he mentioned that there was "not very much time left," and they assumed he meant until Sozin's Comet. But what if there was another restriction on his time –one he hasn't told anyone about? (Much angst, drama llama, and romance-smut. Oh yeah, and a good dosage of omg NOOO! )

**AN:** This took forever. First I wrote 3000 words of a chapter that I decided I wanted to save 'til later on down the road. Then I hit a **major **writers block, and could _not _think of another way to say ridiculous. Ridiculous, eh? Eventually I just gave up and just shoved right (or write) on through. Ha, pun.

* * *

Waking up was like fighting his way through quicksand. Lethargically, he lifted his head, trying to blink the blurry room back into focus. Colors swirled before his eyes. He let his head drop back down onto the lumpy pillow with a thump.

Down the stairs, he could hear the hustle and bustle of daily life, but he had no desire to join them. It might have been the heavy _thump _of his heartbeat in his ears, or the residual queasiness in his stomach from the night before, but Zuko was pretty sure that he couldn't handle annoying little kids poking and prodding at him like a vase on display. Like they had been doing all week. Just because he was new, didn't mean he was some kind of _toy_, dammit!

A lone sunbeam broke free from the morning's caress and fell across his face. He considered flinging his arm across his face for about a moment, before promptly dismissing the idea on the grounds that he felt too miserable to move at all; instead he just squinted his eyes shut harder, cursing Agni for early mornings. Oh, and we can't forget sickness, because if it weren't for that persistent cold, he wouldn't be so completely drained. And for kids and their ability to keep anyone awake when they really just want to _sleep_. From the sound of it, Toph and Sokka were fighting – again – about how she chose to treat him; like some kind of servant. Personally, he didn't mind because he _did _burn her feet, although he was beginning to have his doubts about her claims that they still hurt.

But Sokka continued to fight for his rights – as though he hadn't been their enemy for two years – and despite his slight indignation at the other boy fighting his battles _for _him, Zuko felt a strange sort of warmth in his chest whenever he overheard them. He chalked it up to pleasure that anyone would actually care for him, and didn't think twice on it.

At the moment, however, the only thing Sokka's voice stirred in him was the pounding in his head. He should have fried the boy while he had the chance.

"Yeah, he burnt your feet, we got that," the throaty tenor floated up from the floor below, "but that was _days _ago! Your feet have _got _to be healed by now. I mean, come on!"

"It's the principle behind the thing! I saved his butt so now he owes me. What's it to you, anyway? I don't tell _you_ how to treat him!" Toph sounded pissed. Sokka would be smart to quit while he was ahead. Or not encased in stone.

"That's because–" Sokka was cut off with a rumble, and Zuko found himself chuckling in spite of himself. Living with the Avatar was certainly interesting.

Now that most of the drama of the morning was over – _or at least over for now_ – he figured it was probably safe to venture out of his room. He pushed himself up on shaking arms and sat hunched over on the edge of his bed. The morning breeze ruffled his hair and he pulled the downy comforter tighter around his body. It couldn't hurt to drag it along with him, could it?

Slow was the key, and taking care not to stand too quickly, he got up and shuffled over towards the door. Halfway there his knees turned to noodles and he sank to his knees with a sigh. The last couple mornings had found him with weak legs and an even weaker sense of vertigo. At least this time he had made it off the bed without falling. He drew little circles in the dust with his fingertip as he waited for the feeling to return to his lower limbs.

Somewhere in the back of his mind he had the feeling that this wasn't normal, that he should be fighting against this weakness tooth and nail, but he couldn't bring himself to care. Sure, the jelly-legs could get annoying, and the almost constant headaches made concentrating on _anything _both difficult and painful, but at least he wasn't fighting for his life anymore. He tried to count the small blessings.

Finally after what seemed like hours, but was probably only about a minute or two, the tell-tale tingles began drifting up and down his legs like ants, and he pushed himself to his feet. The blanket he still clutched around himself with a death-grip, but he was no longer cold. Instead, he would swear his skin was blistering off if he couldn't see the backs of his pale wrists as he walked. Another interesting side-effect to that pesky cold that he'd been dealing with for about a week now. First he was freezing cold, then his body was back to the boiling inner temperature he was used to. Like a slow-to-start oven.

The stone floor outside was just as icy as in his room, the weak sunlight not doing much to warm this area of the temple yet. Inanely, he regretted not wearing socks to bed, but he had already wasted a good few hours that he could've been spent practicing firebending. There was no use for regrets.

He ducked the low-hanging ceiling over the stairs and paused, taking in the odd view.

Sandwiched in between two menacing looking pillars was Sokka, and he looked ridiculous. Zuko thought that he himself probably looked ridiculous too – bed-mussed downy black hair sticking up every which way, clutching both ends of the shoddy comforter as it was wrapped around him like a dogerpillar in it's cocoon – but as far as ridiculous things went, Sokka definitely took the cake.

Probably the tea and cookies too.

Round-tipped branches stuck out of each pillar beside his face, so that the nubs shoved each cheek together in a forced 'fish-face', surprised wide eyes and all. Yeah, it was ridiculous, but most likely painful as well, and Zuko couldn't in good conscience leave his protector in that position all day.

"Uh..." _but what to do? _"Just stay there and I'll... Well," he considered, "it's not like you _can _go anywhere, but the _point _is–"

"mmuh!"

_Right. Gotta stay focused... even if it **is **completely hilarious..._

"I'll try to see if I can find that other earthbender guy. He can probably help us out..." Sokka could move his head enough to nod slightly, and Zuko had to look away lest he do something embarrassing like giggle or laugh. He had more important things to do.

The earthbending boy had only spoken to him once, and even that had been more of a noncommittal grunt when he had first been introduced to the more extraneous members of the group. Zuko didn't deceive himself into thinking that the older teen would help _him_, but he _would _help Sokka, if given the proper motivation. The only problem lay in actually _finding _the man.

He ignored the main rooms – Haru, Teo, and The Duke were often heard yelling as they slid through the many tunnels, or investigating the numerous hidden passageways – and instead ran towards the room Aang had called the 'All-day Echo Chamber'. Most of the tunnels branched off from there, so it was a logical place to start his search. Plus, if he called Haru's name the teen was sure to hear him and come to investigate.

The huge chamber doors were twice as tall as him, nearly ten times as wide, and the old oak gave slightly under his palms as he shoved them both open. In order for it to work, the Echo Chamber's doors had to be firmly shut; otherwise all the noise could escape out through the hallways instead of the closed in sliding tunnels. Inside was a huge round beige room, decorated only in hundreds of slide openings that littered the walls like Swiss cheese.

"Haru!" he called into the nearest hole, mentally thanking Toph for telling him all their names in advance. It would've been a bit more awkward shouting 'Earthbending peasant' and expecting the other teen to obey him.

A vibrating echo tumbled back up to him that he interpreted to mean 'yeah?' and Zuko leaned forward into the hole to hear him better.

"Sokka's stuck. You can earthbend, right?"

This time it was a little clearer, and Zuko imagined that the other teen was trying to climb up the tube to be able to hear more clearly. "What was that?"

"I _said_–" Zuko shouted, bringing his hands (still gripping the blanket) up to cup around his mouth like a megaphone, "–you can earthbend, ri_–__aaah!"_

His foot snagged his trailing blanket as he shuffled just a bit closer, and he found himself falling forward into the tunnel. Immediately he was sliding into darkness, feeling the air around him get cooler as he descended deeper and deeper into the ground.

He crashed into something hard and heavy that let out an '_oof_' when he hit it, and then both he and the heavy weight were sliding down, down, until the tunnel came to an abrupt end, chucking them out onto the stone floor. Zuko was thankful that the landing was soft. His pillow apparently didn't share his sentiment.

"Ouch," Haru groaned, rubbing the back of his head with a wide, calloused hand. "What just happened?"

Zuko crawled off of the other teen, miraculously having not lost his blanket in the fall. It _was _cold down here... "I tripped and fell into the tunnel." He glanced around him. "Where are we?"

The room was easily four times the size of the chamber above, and on the opposite side of the room was another tunnel, big enough for even a sky bison to walk through without brushing against any of the walls.

"Teo thinks it was some kind of storage room where the airbenders kept their big stock. See that big tunnel over there?" Zuko nodded, getting to his feet and brushing the dust off his pants. Haru followed suit. "It leads all the way down to this opening in the side of the cliffs. Teo and The Duke are still there; I was just heading back to see if Katara has anything she needs me to do to help out."

"I wouldn't think a hole in the cliff face would entertain two children," Zuko commented cynically. Haru chuckled.

"There's a vine growing there that has these sweet berries. Too sweet for me," he squinted his eyes and stuck out his tongue that was, contrary to his word, purple with berry juices. "But Teo and The Duke can't get enough of them."

"Oh."

"Yeah."

Zuko walked over to the smaller tunnel and peered up into its black depths. It looked slick and steep, and he didn't know that he'd be able to climb all the way to the top without slipping and falling all the way to the bottom again. He turned back to the older teen. "Is there another way out of here, or do we have to scale back up this thing?"

The other boy shrugged with an apologetic smile. "Sorry, up's the only way out. It wouldn't be anything to the airbenders, but it's hard on us."

The raven-haired teen could only scowl, tying two corners of the blanket around his neck like a crude cape (he didn't want to lose it down here and be without any bedding) and brace both hands against the mouth of the tunnel. "No wonder my people wanted to wipe them out... stupid smug little shits..."

Haru just laughed, leaning back and watched as the ex-prince tried and failed to get himself out of the tunnel over and over again.

* * *

His situation sucked.

This wasn't up for debate. He didn't need to stop and think about it because it was absolutely undebatable that the situation sucked. But it wasn't _the worst _situation he'd ever been in, and he clung to that.

Of course he'd been through much worse. His mother had been killed and he had been helpless to help her. Time and time again he found him and his friends in danger, and a lot of the time there wasn't much he could do to help them in the fight since he couldn't bend. That was _way _worse than this.

So then why was this so much more annoying?

_Croak_

Sokka looked down – well, as much as was possible for someone in his position – at the badgerfrog that had followed Toph home from her little excursion out into the prince's camp. Huge yellow eyes stared blankly back. If he stared long enough, it almost looked like the animal was _smirking _at him...

_When Toph had first returned from Zuko's camp, the badgerfrog had been content to relax about in his bag, and no amount of coaxing could get it to come out until Zuko had been allowed out of his room. As soon as the badgerfrog had seen the firebender it had leapt out of the bag and into the surprised arms of the black-haired teen._

"_Froggy!" Zuko had astonishingly declared, swinging the creature about with a grip under its front legs. "What're **you **doing here?"_

_He had snorted, only to get elbowed by Toph. What kind of hardass prince names an animal 'Froggy'?_

"_You talking to him or us, because I don't think he'll respond to you," Toph had teased, warm smile on her face. "But by all means, keep trying. It's funny to see you go crazy every once in a while."_

There were some interesting parallels between now and his brief encounter with '_Foo-Foo Cuddly Poofs_' the Sabertooth Mooselion cub (he had never claimed to be a hardass prince). Only then he was down _in _the ground, now it was up _around _him.

Either way, he couldn't move, and he had to wait for _Zuko _to come and save him.

_That sounds really strange seeing as for years 'Zuko' was synonyms with 'near-death experience'. _

_Croak_

The little guy was still staring at him, as though patiently waiting for him to do something, or to give it something.

"whaa-ooo wann?" Okay, so that didn't come out like he hoped it would. Then again, it wasn't half bad for someone who had their cheeks squeezed together. Besides, he was being ridiculous. He was trying to talk to a _badgerfrog_. Apparently he hadn't learned from the _last _time that talking to animals when in annoying situations is a _bad thing_. Actually, talking to animals _at all _was bad. It's not like they could understand him... Zuko just needed to get back soon.

He really needed to piss...

* * *

"I-I am... _NEVER_... doing that again..."

Beside him, Haru sat leaning against the open mouth of the tunnel they had just spent forever climbing out of. Zuko shivered and scooted farther from the accursed hole.

"Yeah, I agree," Haru agreed, breathing harshly. "It _looks _like so much fun, but it's a pain in the ass to get back _out _of these tunnels."

Both boys sat quietly for the next few minutes, save for their harsh breathing. For some reason Zuko's breath wasn't coming as quick as it should've and it frustrated him; usually he'd be up and onto his next thing already. Stupid cold... He leaned his head back against the cool stone of the Echo Chamber, eyes closed and just focused on steady, even breaths. One after another. Breathe in, breathe out. Already he was starting to feel a little better.

"–something, right?"

The fog shifted around in his mind, and he realized Haru was trying to talk to him. "Sorry, can you repeat that?"

"I said, before all... help Sokka... right?"

Zuko shook his head to clear his head and turned to get a good look at the older boy. "One more time? I'm still worn out..."

Haru smiled and nodded, but something about it seemed off to Zuko, like the older teen was waiting for him to fall over or something. "I said, before all this, you said you needed me to help Sokka or something, right?"

The firebender stared blankly back at the earthbender for a moment before something _clicked _at he remembered Sokka stuck in the rock.

"Right!" he started, jumping up and helping the older boy to his feet. Sokka had already been waiting for about an hour... "He's stuck in this rock... thing."

Haru grabbed Zuko's hand to help him up, and came willingly towards the Echo Chamber doors. "Then why didn't you get Toph to help?" he asked. "Not that I don't want to help or anything."

"She's the one who _put _him there. I don't want to irritate her and join him..." Haru nodded. The other earthbender could get violent easily.

Then they were running, bare feet slapping along the rough stone towards where Sokka was stuck. His head came to about Haru's chin, he noticed in between long strides. So Haru _was _older than him. Or at least a lot taller.

They took the corner at an easygoing jog – Sokka had already been waiting an hour, so there was no real reason to _rush_ – and Zuko would've fallen, tripping over the edge of his blanket once again, but Haru was quick to catch him with a hand on his shoulder to set him back to place. Zuko turned to thank the older boy but froze; Haru was staring, transfixed on something behind him.

Ah, so we've found Sokka.

"Mmph!"

"Yes, Sokka, we're back," Zuko teased, shuffling over to a bench to sit down Indian style. Dragging along that blanket had been troublesome, but it was all worth it when he could just cuddle up under it and not have to face the world. Dazedly, Haru followed Zuko's example and started moving; either he was too polite to laugh or was amazed at the lengths Toph would go to punish someone. Personally, Zuko thought it was the latter because it _was _hilarious.

A calloused finger ran along the edge of the nub on the left side, possibly testing it's strength, quality, design... Zuko wasn't an earthbender and had no qualms admitting that he didn't know how it worked. It _was _amazing though. And for Toph to do it blind? He respected the girl all the more.

"I think I can bend it out of the way," Haru decided finally, weakly. "Just– try not to move too much, okay?"

Sokka could only nod with wide eyes.

Haru stepped up into a strong, low stance, palms flat against each pillar. A bead of sweat ran down his face. He shook his head and stepped back. "What'd you say he did to deserve this again?"

"Arrrroo!" Sokka whined, wiggling as much as his confinement would allow. Zuko didn't doubt that he wanted to punch him for taking so long to get help already.

He rose from the bench with a groan and shuffled over to the pair, blanket still firmly wrapped around him. A pale hand patted the taller shoulder comfortingly. "You can dothis, Haru. I mean look at him," he pointed towards Sokka. Sokka nodded as though to say, 'this is me'. "He looks miserable, doesn't he?" Another nod, saying, 'yeah, very miserable'. "And you can do something about it. Just try." A wiggle, and narrowed brow spoke volumes.

"Alright," Haru sighed, getting into position once again. A sort of tremor shook the pillars before they jerkily descended into the ground. Sokka was free.

"_Finally!_" Sokka cheered, shaking out his sore muscles. He rounded on the cocooned boy. "What _took _you so long?!"

Zuko growled, pulling the blanket tighter and sat back down on the bench. For some reason he was just so cold... Maybe he should sit down for a moment, wait for the room to stop swaying. "I got him as fast as I could, okay? It's not _my _fault the tunnels are so damned hard to escape from..."

That wasn't enough for the other boy, and Sokka stomped over, grabbing Zuko's shoulders and shaking them roughly. Haru crept away from the pair and out the room before Sokka turned his wrath on him next. "I was stuck there for _an hour_! You left me there for an _hour _to play in the _tunnels_? What's _wrong _with you?!"

The world continued shaking even after Sokka let him go, and Zuko couldn't even answer that question for himself. "I _told _you, I got him as fast as I could! What more do you want from me?!" He sniffled at the end; he could add a runny nose to his ever-growing list of reasons why he hated this cold.

"I _want _for you to be able to..." A strange look came over his face. "Is your nose bleeding?"

Zuko wiped the back of his hand under his nose and it came back red.

"Yeah, I guess it is." He didn't get bloody noses often, but when he did they tended to clear up in a matter of minutes.

All of a sudden Sokka looked awkward and as though he just realized his hands were still gripping Zuko's thin shoulders through the blanket, he jerked them back like he was burned. Which he _wasn't _because Zuko had already burned one member of the group and never wanted to again.

"Are you alright? I mean– do you need anything?"

"Nah," he muttered, tilting his head back to stem the flow. "They're just annoying, really. It'll go away in a minute or two. You can go ahead and go find your sister or whatever it is you do all day..."

Something warm settled against his side and Zuko glanced over, gold eyes meeting blue and he found they were honestly concerned.

"Do you– do you get bloody noses a lot?" Sokka looked down, picking at a bit of dirt stuck under his fingernail. "Because when I do it's always because I got hit in the nose. And I didn't see you get hit in the nose."

"No, I haven't had a bloody nose in..." he tried to remember the last time, "...forever. And that's because I _didn't _get hit in the nose. I'm just dizzy or something..."

"It wasn't from me shaking you, was it?"

"I don't think so... I mean that's a pretty stupid reason to get a bloody nose. If you ask me, it's because of the height. "he glanced out at the opposite rock wall of the cliff. "Or lack of height maybe."

"Yeah, I guess..." They sat in awkward silence for a few minutes as Zuko waiting for the bloody nose to pass. Finally he could feel the blood drying, and he figured he was safe to hold his head normally now.

"Alright, I should be good by now. Like I said, it only lasts for a few... Or not..." Blood dripped from the end of his nose to create a nut-sized drop on his blanket. He frowned.

A warm arm wrapped around his chest while another found his forehead, and then he was leaning back against something strong and oh so warm. That would be Sokka. Suddenly his cheeks felt that much warmer.

"Here, you can lean your head back against my shoulder so you won't get a crick in your neck. What's this?" Sokka's hand dipped down just under the neck edge of his shirt, and for one moment Zuko's heart stopped beating. Then he realized that Sokka _wasn't _talking about his sparse chest muscles and he focused in on the situation. A tan hand emerged fingering a small dragon pendant.

Zuko breathed out, suddenly realizing that he had been holding his breath, and took the charm from the other's hands. "It's a well-wish for an eternal flame. Kind of like a 'hope you live a nice life' gift. It's silly... I don't even know why I'm still wearing it." He reached up to unclasp the fastening, but tan hands gripped his fingers, halting him.

"It's not silly, it's sweet. For a moment I thought– but no, you _are _Fire Nation, so of course your traditions are different... Who gave it to you?" From his position laid back against his chest, he could see a rosy blush rose to the other's cheeks that Zuko doubted had anything to do with the extra body heat. But then, he was probably blushing scarlet by now too.

"Nobody, just... this guy back in the Fire Nation who was my friend. But what did _you_ think it was?"

"A _guy_, huh?" Sokka had a predatory look in his eyes that made Zuko blush all the more. "What was this special _guy's _name?"

It clicked, what Sokka meant by 'special guy', and Zuko had to look away from his smoldering blue eyes. "I _told you_, he was just a friend. Nothing more." He growled, and his tone of finality was enough to deter even Sokka. "What did you think it was?"

This time it was Sokka's turn to blush. "Nothing. Our culture just puts different emphasis on necklaces."

Zuko wasn't about to let it go that easily. "You wouldn't blush if it was just nothing. What do necklaces mean, then?"

Sokka grumbled something along the lines of 'you're one to talk' before fingering his own necklace. "If a guy gives his to someone it means he plans to marry them. I don't know why I thought– I mean you didn't have one for the last two years and now– I was just being stupid, that's all." Sokka let his arms drop around the shorter boy's shoulders.

"So that means your sister–"

"_No_!" Zuko glanced up at Sokka's fevered blue eyes. "No, I mean... that was our mother's." If he hadn't felt like a jerk before about stealing Katara's necklace, he certainly did now. Why did everything he do have to come back and bite him in the ass?

He leaned his head back against the firm chest and reached up to feel the bone of the tan boy's necklace. Each of the bone pieces were smooth and hard, about the size of a litchi nut. Experimentally, he lifted one into his palm; the necklace had to weigh at least a pound! How did Sokka heft this around on his _neck _all day?

"Still dateless then, I see?" he jabbed, light tone letting Sokka know he wasn't trying to be rude, just keeping the conversation flowing.

The other boy laughed, and the rumbling tickled all the way up Zuko's back. "Nah, I've got Suki. That's more than _you _can say!"

"I've had dates before," he denied. He started to cross his arms, but they bumped into Sokka's hanging hands so he let them rest on his lap.

"Suuure. I can't picture you taking a girl out." Blue eyes turned playful and he tapped out some obscure rhythm on Zuko's shoulder bones. "But that's just it, right? _She _probably did all the planning, right?"

He frowned, thinking back on every date he had ever gone on, and found he couldn't honestly deny it. Back when he and Mai were 'dating' they never really went anywhere, but when they did he always just followed her around. Like a newborn puppylizard. Then there was Jin. He figured that couldn't fairly be called a 'date', because even though they _had _gone to dinner and to the park afterwards, he had only went along with her on his uncle's wishes. Finally, there was Cal...

Immediately he wiped the thought from his mind. There was no way that was a _date_! Calsifer was a _guy_, and it wasn't as though he had asked him outon a date... It had just been an invitation slipped into his coat pocket to go out to dinner with someone he had just met. Who had winked at him.

And called him cute.

Mentally he smacked himself in the face. Okay, so it had been a date. But he hadn't _known _it was a date, so it also didn't count. And Cal was a _guy_, so how was he supposed to know to be wary of the man? Same sex relations weren't _unheard of _in the Fire Nation, but they were so few and far between that he had never actually considered that two men might be more interested in each other than in women. It was just strange.

Armed with this new knowledge, he thought back to everything that had occurred on their 'date'. There had been over-friendly touches that he hadn't thought twice of. Touches that Calsifer had probably gotten a sick kick out of. Unconsciously he scooted out of Sokka's warm embrace, completely missing the hurt look that shot across his friend's face.

* * *

Everything had been fine, the casual teasing and playful atmosphere drifting into a realm where Sokka was most comfortable, then out of no where the pale boy jerked away from him, leaning over his knees with his head held low. There had been no leading up to it; one moment they had been joking about their sex lives, then the next it was as though a wall had been thrown up to keep the watertribesman out. Had he been pushing the boy too far?

Sure, there was an attraction that reared its ugly head whenever he was around the other teen, but how could there not be? The paler teen was all lanky lines and lean muscle, and yet – Sokka had never seen someone who was so strong while not _looking _so strong. He was like a wolfpanther; they looked sleek, smooth, and friendly, but would much rather be left alone. Sokka felt like the stupid kid that couldn't take the hint.

But Zuko's hair had been soft against his neck and his inner warmth had breeched even the blanket, and Sokka had almost not let him go.

So then what had he done wrong?

"What? What's wrong?"

The other boy jumped slightly and Sokka bet that he had forgotten he was even there. "N-Nothing," Zuko mumbled, glancing at him for just a split second, and he would have missed it if he wasn't so focused on those expressive features. Weary gold eyes landed and settled on the doorway towards the main room. "It's just my stomach– I haven't eaten yet today, and I was just remembering how hungry I am."

"Oh, right! You slept in this morning." To hide his awkwardness in dealing with the other teen, he stood up and brushed off his pants. "Katara should have lunch done soon, as long as we've still got meat left. And if there's only one piece left, I'm going to fight you to the death for it, got it?"

Zuko nodded, and a ghost of a smile played across his dusty pink lips.

_I wonder if they're as soft as they look..._

Puberty could be a bitch.

* * *

He probably wasn't the best judge – seeing as this was probably the first time he had made a friend of his same gender and age group – and it wasn't like there was a manual he could consult on the matter, but Zuko doubted it was normal for one man to stalk another. At least not how Sokka did it.

After bluffing his way out of an awkward conversation by means of bringing up the warrior's favorite topic, dinner, he had planned on finally putting away his possessions in the dresser that had been hauled in from one of the many other near-empty rooms about the temple. It had been a good week since he was grudgingly allowed into the group, and although it rubbed at him the wrong way (he was a meticulously neat and organized person, after all), the sack overstuffed with his clothes and belongings had remained at the floor by his headboard as a precaution. He could never know when the group would get tired of his uselessness.

At least, that had been the plan.

Sokka, however, had marched right along beside him all the way to his door, and even let himself in uninvited to settle on his bed while Zuko tidied up the room. "Hanging out" with Sokka wasn't even that horrible, even though he used quite a few grins as an excuse to grit his teeth and fists trembled when his back was turned. Up until that moment he had never believed that there was someone who could talk as much as Ty Lee, but he was quickly proven wrong. Sokka was worse. The other boy actually expected him to listen and be an active part of the conversation.

Things had only gotten more frustrating as they made their way back to dinner. For some inexplicable reason, no matter how wide he paced his steps from Sokka, the other boy was always uncomfortably close. Zuko was starting to get sick of the careless apologies thrown his way every time their elbows or knuckles brushed, even if the other teen's skin was comfortably warm against his.

Katara had prepared a surprisingly delicious looking dish from the local variety of nuts, rice, and berries, which was a testament to her profound skill in the kitchen. Despite his reaction to the stew the night before, he had never had any complaint about any of the other foods she had cooked throughout the week.

Nestled into the swirling mass like a rabbitsnake in its den was a bit of darker brown, and it seemed as though there really _was _only one good chunk of meat left. He considered snagging it before Sokka just to get a rise out of the boy, but let it go. He could call himself impatient, pig-headed, and a bit of a fool, but he wasn't often a masochist, and the other teen's sharp retorts would wreak havoc on his already fraying control on firebending. It's not like they would keep him around if he charred their resident 'plan guy'. Besides, it looked like Toph had already discovered it.

The second his plate was full (or at least half full, because he doubted he could eat _anywhere _near as much as the piles Toph and Sokka were loading up), Zuko stood stiffly and made his way back to his room. He knew the rest of the group usually sat together during meals because it seems they just couldn't get enough of each other, but he wasn't liked or wanted, so he would eat up in his room. It was quieter there anyway.

And he was used to the quiet. For months after he had split up from his uncle, he had had no company but the tuneless whistling of the wind and the sun to warm his back, and he had been perfectly content. Or, at least as content as he could be for being on the run and constantly half-starved.

Balancing his dish in one hand and his cup in the other, he leaned back to keep his balance and brought his foot up to the doorknob. With the slightest bit of pressure to the right, the door _clicked _and swung open. It had stumped him the first time he brought dinner back to his room; he couldn't set the plate down because he had always been taught that the place settings didn't belong on the floor. But then Toph had come along, and noticing him standing in front of his door with his arms laden with food, she had opened both hers and his doors with just her foot as she balanced her own dinner. The first time _he_ had tried it he had fallen backwards and lost his drink, however he _had _managed to save his food. Practice made it easier, and now he could enter his room just as easily with his feet as with his hands, and he was proud of his newfound skill.

Even if it _was _a rather useless talent.

He placed the plate on his bed while the cup went on the nightstand beside it. Dirt and dust itched against his skin, and he just _had _to get out of those disgusting clothes.

"Mind if I join you?"

Zuko turned around slowly, lowering the shirt back down. If he was going to be subjugated to the other boy again this soon, he was _not _going to be doing it half-naked.

"Oh, yeah. I mean, no, I don't mind." What he really wanted to say was 'yes, I _do _mind', but sometimes his mouth gained momentary control of his thought process. So now Sokka was settling himself beside him on the small twin bed. He felt awkward standing in the middle of the room, and sat down as far away from Sokka as the narrow space allowed.

The tan boy loaded up a teetering tower of noodles on his chopsticks and chewed slightly with a contemplative glimmer in his eyes before he said, mouth still full of half-chewed food, "What's your favorite food? Mine's seal jerky. Or tigerbass sticks. Ooh, or maybe fried armadillowalrus. It's chewy _and _juicy!"

_Basically any kind of meat then._

He took a much smaller bite and chewed the crunchy noodles deliberately, and Sokka's fingers twitched in anticipation. Why was he so jumpy? "I'm gonna have to say 'Dragon Palm'."

There was a moment of blissful silence before Sokka figured out what the dish actually _was_. "But there's no _meat_ in that!!" He actually sounded scandalized. Or maybe offended. "You can't tell me that _that's _you're favorite food!"

The next few bites of lunch felt thick in his mouth, and heavier in his stomach. "I didn't make fun of your meat dishes, so don't criticize mine. I come from a different culture than you, so you can't expect me to like the same things, you know..."

"But _still_! I just don't get _how _that can be your favorite. Or are you a veggie-only person like Aang?"

"Well, my mother used to make it for me." _Back when she was still around._ "And I _do _like meat, you know. I've been eating the same food as you for the whole week."

They both went silent, having nothing else to say, and continued eating. Sokka ate like a ravenous lionpig and made enough noise to fill in the silence without even speaking. On Zuko's plate, two nuts did an improvised dance, assisted by his idle chopsticks. He had only eaten a quarter of what he dished up so far, but it didn't look like he'd get through much more. His stomach was protesting already.

Not wanting a repeat of the night before, he pushed away his plate and leaned back against the headboard. With his eyes closed the room ceased its spinning, and the cool wood was a blessing to the back of his burning neck. His internal heating system was off by about twenty degrees today, it seemed...

"I thought you said you were hungry," Sokka accused through another mouthful. A stray noodle clung to the side of his face that looked like a ferretworm. Zuko's stomach rolled at the thought.

He _thumped _his head back against the wood again, desperate to feel something other than the slow rise of half-digested food back up from below. "I _was_," he pointed out, "but then I _ate_. I'm good now, alright?" The room teetered on its axis, and he knew he needed to get to a bathroom soon. He lurched to his feet, intending to do just that.

"H-Hey!" Sokka jumped up, knocking a few nuts off his plate. "Where're you going?"

Zuko paused at the door. "The bathroom. I'll be right back." Sokka moved to follow him. "I _don't _need an escort, alright?! Just quit– stop following me!"

The other boy stopped, a hurt look flashing through his eyes. "I'm not following you, I'm just... What's wrong with wanting to hang out with your friend?"

"_Friend_? We've hardly known each other a week!" he said incredulously, pacing before the open door. "And your _stalking me _isn't helping matters. Just... I don't mind your company. Really, I don't. But give me a little space every once in a while, okay?"

Sokka stared, open mouthed back at him, and Zuko wasn't sure if it was in disbelief or because he was surprised he was caught. "So I'm _stalking _you, now?" he waved his arms about the air around him as though it could provide him with the words. It didn't seem to be working. "I follow you to your room because I thought you'd like some company, and _you _of all people have the nerve to call me a stalker?"

A wave of cold crested over him, and he leaned heavily against the open door, hands coming up to grip weakly at the door frame behind his head. He wasn't being very fair, was he? After all, these people were taking him in on face value that he had honestly changed – that he wasn't going to betray their location to the Fire Lord – and here he was yelling at someone for being thoughtful?

Whatever happened to 'staying friendly'?

Wide knuckles slipped through his swaying vision, watching, waiting for him to take the hand up. It was even warmer now that he was focusing on it and not his crumbling sense of balance; he considered the inane thought that Sokka could secretly be a firebender. Downcast sapphire pools avoided his own. Zuko was led back to the bed with a firm hand on his shoulder.

When Sokka finally spoke next, his voice wavered as though he was still going through puberty. "I didn't mean to say that... I just meant– You shouldn't have to be all alone up here everyday, ya' know? I mean, everyone else eats together... and you shouldn't care what Katara thinks, no one _else_ does. Well, maybe Aang, but that's just 'cause he likes her. _He _thinks you're great!"

"_Sokkaaaa!_" Both boys' heads turned towards the door, despite knowing that Katara was all the way downstairs. Sokka turned back towards Zuko with a sigh, and patted him once on the shoulder before standing up again with a groan.

"And Katara has to go and ruin the moment _again_. You look tired. I'll 'leave you alone' now for a bit, and you can sleep. Or read. Firebend. _Whatever _it is that you do up here all day," he chuckled, winking at the last. Of course Sokka would assume something naughty out of something so innocent. Zuko ignored the jab and nodded, pleased that the motion didn't cause immediate distress. His stomach was finally settling too.

The door clicked shut. Silence seeped through the cracks under the door and around the window, and it felt too quiet, too empty without the loudmouth to help fill it. He almost considered calling him back. But the bed was inviting and looked so completely _warm_ that he couldn't protest his sore and aching muscles from a bit of a lay in. He curled up under the blankets (one of which he had been dragging around for most of the day) and smiled faintly as the sheets tangled around his legs. If his muscles were heavy, his head was a boulder, and he let it drop onto the pillow like a farm worker throws his hay.

In the misty mid-afternoon, in the darkest room of the northernmost tower, Zuko let himself slip into sleep.

* * *

**AN: **That took WAAAY too long. But _good news_, I've got a shiny new beta-reader (terracannon876) who was a godsend when writing (and coming up with the plot for) this chapter. She's just _full_ of nifty ideas that I'll be kidnapping for the future. Oh, and she's trying to write her own story one of these days, so go and read it whenever she posts!

---- edit: Terra is officially the best beta EVER! She worked with me through this process for the last few days and nit-picked all the inconsistencies in my writing.. and there were a LOT. So thank her and I'll send the review along! =]

This chapter was 8,083 words long, which is NOT a record.

Next chapter we finally meet the firebending masters. Schweet.


	8. Ch 7: Fanning the Flames

**Date Completed:** 7 February 2009

**Pairing:** Sokka/Zuko, mentions of past Sokka/Suki (eww!)

**Disclaimer:** I got a call from my lawyer today. Still don't own it yet, but not for a lack of trying.

**Summary:** When Zuko asked to join the Gaang and teach the avatar firebending, he mentioned that there was "not very much time left," and they assumed he meant until Sozin's Comet. But what if there was another restriction on his time –one he hasn't told anyone about? (Much angst, drama llama, and romance-smut. Oh yeah, and a good dosage of omg NOOO! )

**AN:** Hehe sex scenes making me blush...

This was probably one of the funnest chapters to write though, what with Froggy being involved and all. There's just something about that little badgerfrog... This is mainly just a filler chapter before the Firebending Masters next chapter. Enjoy the mini-chapter!

**EDIT: **Okay... this turned out longer than I expected it to. Honestly, the words just grabbed the keyboard from me, and typed away without me. Still, I hope you enjoy it!

**Notes re: Terra: **This came in with a shitload of corrections that are all thanks to my lovely beta. Seriously, I don't know how you all got through the first chapters without her to help the flow... flow right. I'm horrid and grammar... and spelling. She's a pro at everything!

* * *

_Smoke from the low-melting candle nearby coiled lazily about the air like a silent serpent, flicking an amber glow across the two lazy bodies entwined on the silken sheets. The air was hot and heavy, and a low baritone moan answered in response to its partner's arousing touch. Eyes, darkened to the deepest sea in their hazy lust, drifted open at the wandering fingertips traced down the path of his chest. They caught the slightest hint of sleep- – or perhaps sex – -ruffled short hair before the touch ventured lower, and he let his head fall back against the downy pillows with another moan._

_Sultry fingers traced a line across from one hip to the other. The faintest feather-light touch along the inner curve of his thigh and Sokka tossed his head side to side, gripping the sheets with white knuckles to resist thrusting his hips up against that warm heat hovering above him. Still the wandering fingers lingered..._

_Warm, wet heat engulfed him, and everything fell away but that sweet mouth and the soft silken hair beneath his fevered grip. The hot tongue continued its trail down to the tip. _

"_Please...don't stop..."_

_He hated the way his voice shook, full of wanton lust and need, but the mouth wrapped its full lips around the tip and sucked lightly – a faint vibrating hum grinning around him. It was so very hard to fight something that brought such results. _

_The traveling hands came to rest around the curve of his knees, tickling at the softer skin behind. He moaned again, louder, biting at the corner of his lip. He was so close..._

_That heavenly mouth pulled back slightly, just enough to blow gently against the tip. Warm, crashing breaths that shook his resolve and threatened to cast him into oblivion. A whimper left his mouth, hips jerking up to stay in contact. The hands caught him._

"_Shh..." the soothed, hot breath ghosting over his feverish skin. He sighed, throwing his arm across his eyes, breath coming in shuddering gasps. It was as though he was on the Earth Kingdom's mail slides once again, sliding backwards down the hill, stomach doing flip-flops and heart pounding. The soft thumb rubbed circles against his inner hip. He shuddered again._

_Finally his partner leaned back down, body sprawled out across his legs and taking him fully into that hot mouth. He felt himself tipping..._

...And colliding with the cold stone floor, knocking the hazy lust clear out of his thoughts. Just his luck. The first time he gets some from Suki in nearly a month, and it's in his dreams.

Sokka glanced around the open cathedral space, noting that none of his friends (or sister) were still asleep in their bedrolls. He rubbed at his eyes with his palm.

_It's still too damn early..._

A thump from above caught his attention, and he froze, cocking his head in the direction of the upper floors. Again it sounded, and this time he detected the clear _clangs _and _bangs _of a fight. What were they up to now?

He made short work of the bedding tangled around his legs, and lumbered across the room and up the stairs, mumbling under his breath all the while. His people were known to rise with the moon. Or, at least the waterbenders were, but he would cling to any excuse to _not _wake up, and mornings had never really been his particular favorite time of day anyway.

The voices grew clearer the closer he got to the hallway, and he sped up subconsciously. He couldn't make out the words, but it sounded like his sister was picking a fight with Zuko again, and things were getting more heated. Sokka had no idea why they couldn't just get along – they _were _on the same side now, anyways – but not a single day had passed without periods of tense silence and snide remarks between the two. Even Aang had eventually warmed up to the firebender, going so far as to give him the title _Sifu Hotman_ that had Zuko indignant, but the blush gave away how much the familiarity meant to the older boy. Toph also had welcomed him full-heartedly into the group, even if it was only for him to play the role of her slave – something that Sokka and her fought about more often than food or sleep, which was something of a rarity in itself.

For all his life, there had only been three things that Sokka would actively fight for: family, food, and freedom. That wasn't to say that nothing else was important to him, but there were only so many things a man was willing to lay down his life for, and he had been pretty content with his list for a long time. So when Yue came along, he had been surprised to find himself fighting for her life. Shortly after he had just gotten over the death (or rather, transformation) of his first love, he had met Suki, and once again a woman outside his family was put on his list, along with a new category: _love_.

Then how could he explain away his protective instincts towards Zuko?

He wasn't naïve enough to believe in anything as foolish as love at first sight, and even if he did, that didn't seem to fit towards the paler boy. While he had to admit that the other teen was attractive as hell, there hadn't been any feeling other than suspicion when he had first arrived. No butterflies or sparkles or anything they spoke of in songs or poems. No, this was lust. This was more primal.

Over the week Zuko had spent with them at the temple, Sokka had learned more about the ex-prince than he had ever known in the two years spent avoiding him. For example, he could now say with all honesty that the pale boy despised the taste of tea, even though the firebender made the best brew he had ever tasted. They both shared a similar penchant for sarcasm, and could lob lighthearted insults back and forth across Zuko's worn bed for hours without growing weary of the other's company. Sure, Zuko didn't hold that same obsession with meat that Sokka clung to like a dogma, but he _did _introduce Sokka to pepperoni, which was still meat even if it was garnered in so much spice that it was almost painful to eat. And he knew that this foreign boy was now inexplicably his friend, and so _friendship_ was added to his ever-growing list.

Smoke was billowing from Zuko's open doorway, and Sokka's heart pounded in his chest.

"_I told you_, it was just a dream. This happens a lot with–"

"So what you're telling me is that not only can you not teach Aang firebending, but you could burn us all to death in your _sleep_, as well?"

Sokka peeked into the room, ducking his head below the slowly clearing gray smoke. Katara stood like a giant before a meek Zuko, who was sitting on the edge of his bed with his head in his hands. A quick glance to the other side of the room proved the cause of the smoke – the smoldering remains of what used to be a tapestry was lying in a puddle on the floor.

A soft voice alerted him to Aang, standing off to the other side beside a bored looking Toph. "I don't think he _meant_ to catch the tapestry on fire, Katara. He said it was just a dream... I used to airbend in my sleep sometimes too when I wasn't feeling well..."

"Still, his firebending could do a lot more damage than your airbending or our waterbending. This wasn't a risk I was prepared for when I agreed to let him stay with us. I'm not sure it's safe to keep him here anymore."

Zuko glanced tiredly up from his knees and leveled Katara with a stare, and the dark smudges under his eyes looked like coal against the pallor of his cheeks.

"If you really want me gone, just say the word," he sighed, voice scratchy but still strong, "but remember that I'm the only one around that can teach Aang firebending before the comet."

His sister bristled, and Sokka thought better of Zuko as he didn't back down.

"You can't even control your _own _firebending!"

"I know."

Startled by the admission, Katara seemed to lose some of her steam, and sat down near the foot of the bed, a good two or three feet from the offending boy. It was hard to argue with someone who wouldn't fight back.

"So what are we going to do about it?" she asked, fingering the rough cloth of the bedding with a frown.

Sokka shifted closer to Toph, joining her and Aang on the floor out of the warpath that was Katara and Zuko's arguments. They might have calmed down for the moment, but everyone knew that was only temporary. Toph nodded towards the ruined tapestry that had stopped smoking, but was now giving off the odor of burnt liongoat hair. They tuned out Zuko's feeble excuses, and the snide remarks Katara threw back in his face. Just another argument, just another day.

"Princess woke us all up this morning when he yelled for Katara to come put the fire out. She wasn't happy."

Sokka scoffed. 'Wasn't happy' was an understatement. But still, that didn't explain why the tapestry was burning in the first place. "Why'd he set it on fire then?"

"Apparently he had some kind of bad dream and did it in his sleep," she explained lowly, blank eyes glancing eerily close to where the boy in question actually sat, silently taking Katara's criticism. "But then he couldn't firebend it out, so he had to get Katara to do it with her waterbending before he caught the whole temple on fire."

"I wonder what's going on with him..." The other boy already had enough problems, what with his apparent trouble sleeping and lack of control with his firebending. Knowing how the ex-prince felt about burning Toph, he knew Zuko wouldn't be able to go to sleep without fear that he'd burn them all in his sleep.

Aang shifted on the other side of Toph, and turned towards him, concerned gray eyes freezing aqua pools. "I think he's sick."

He remembered how he had had to steady Zuko the day before when the other teen had stood too fast, and how Zuko had told him it was due to a persistent cold. Maybe Aang's theory had some merit. "Yeah," he agreed, leaning his chin against his upturned palm, "he said he's had this cold for a few weeks. Isn't sleep-bending something you guys do when you get sick?"

"Not really," Aang admitted, glancing over to make sure the arguing pair were still busy. "I mean, I sleep-bended once when I was sick, but that was when I was really little."

Toph, who had progressed to lying on her front by now, nodded, bangs flopping about her glassy eyes. "It's pretty much something only kids do. _Adults _usually have a lot more control over their bending than that."

"He's only sixteen," he corrected distractedly, missing the pointed look Toph threw his way at already knowing such intimate information. There had to be _some _reason why Zuko was having difficulty firebending... "Hey, Toph... you said that earthbending is controlled by determination, right?" She nodded, but Sokka was already turning towards Aang, blue eyes alight with the thrill of figuring out a mystery. "And Airbending's spurn from..."

"The quest for freedom and spiritual enlightenment," Aang supplied.

"Right, right. Then waterbending is all about change and adaptation. So what's firebending fueled by then?"

Finally, Toph seemed to understand where he was going with this, and rolled over slightly, just enough so that she was facing Zuko, who was in the middle of defending himself yet again to Katara. "Hey, Zuko! What's firebending fueled by?"

Katara scowled at her for interrupting, but Zuko paused with his mouth open for a moment, looking confused, before rubbing the back of his neck. "Anger, I guess. I mean, it _is _kind of a violent element..."

"Well," Sokka grinned, leaning forward over his crossed legs, "do you _feel angry_?"

* * *

It was kind of ironic in an annoying way that he _wasn't _angry enough to control his element. He, who had – fueled by rage and determination – chased around the Avatar for two whole years. The irony hadn't been wasted on Katara, who had started laughing and declared that he _was better off as their enemy than ally_. At least Sokka had tried to cheer him up (at least he _hoped _it had been in good sport) by poking him several times in the ribs and head with Aang's staff. Unfortunately, all that came of this was an angry, but still flameless firebender, and sore ribs.

He tried to picture Azula's face in mind; the night-streaked black hair pulled back in a royal bun, bronze eyes glinting and painted lips curled into that self-satisfied smirk she wore so often... If he squinted just right, he could imagine that she was hiding in the shadows created by the setting sun against the thick support pillars of the temple's lower floors. The ghost of her laugh echoed through the open room. He raised his fist to punch...

...And brought it down with a sigh.

While it was true that she undoubtedly _hated _him and the very thought of her turned his insides to liquid fire, she was still his sister. They were still family. At least, they were if he wasn't disowned by now.

The thought sent his mind down a different road, one he had tried to forget since he had first left the palace. What did everyone think happened to him? He hadn't taken the time to write a note or leave behind any sort of clue to tell anyone where he had left or why; the fortune teller's eerie prediction had spoken of suffering and misery, and his every instinct had him fleeing the palace walls that were beginning to look more and more like a prison. Did they even know he had turned traitor, or did they suspect kidnapping?

_Better yet, did anyone even care?_

Wiping the cool line of sweat away from the back of his neck with a small hand towel, he slid down the outermost wall until he was sitting knees to chest, gazing out into the slowly setting sun. He couldn't explain why, but the thought of his family and friends not knowing he was on the Avatar's side actually hurt. Maybe it was because this seemed so right to him, helping Aang and his friends restore balance to a world ravaged by his own people.

And yet he still couldn't do much to help Aang, because he couldn't even get angry at the ones who had started it all.

_Croak_

Zuko glanced down by his side. The newly dubbed Froggy sat beside his leg, large yellow-green eyes staring up into his own gold ones. The badgerfrog blinked and continued staring, as though waiting for Zuko to do something entertaining again. Zuko sighed.

"You know, if I keep talking to you, people are going to think I'm insane."

_Croak_

"At least you can't judge me. Thank Agni for small favors," he chuckled, lifting Froggy from under his chubby and lightly-furred arms, and placed him on his lap. A wandering hand found the creature's short ears and gently rubbed the soft fur along the base.

"I think there's something wrong with me," he confessed, hand sliding down through the brown fur to the middle of the animal's back, then moving back up to the ears to repeat its journey. He could almost pretend that Froggy's blink was questioning concern, and he felt foolish for feeling happy at the imagined kindness. Still, it was nice to be able to talk to someone who wouldn't (or couldn't) judge him. "It's just– I haven't been able to sleep well lately, and when I do, I catch my room on fire. How am I supposed to _try _if it means accidentally killing all my friends?" The hand sped up in his frustration, pressing a little harder.

"This wouldn't even be so bad if I could just do my job and teach Aang firebending, but I can't even do _that _right! They say I'm not angry enough... but I've lived my whole life off anger. Besides, what kind of warmhearted nation could we grow to become if all of our strength comes from inner-rage?" Froggy squirmed uncomfortably under the mounting pressure Zuko's warm hand was subjecting him to; the creature kicked out lightly with a back leg against the assailing arm, but Zuko was too engrossed in his own demons to notice.

At least the hand was petting lightly again. "Last night I threw up after dinner, and it had blood in it again," he informed Froggy weakly, tilting his head back against the stone wall behind him, relishing the last few moments of sunlight before the moon took up guard in the starry sky. "And I'm never hungry anymore. Haven't even eaten yet today. I wonder how long this can go on before someone notices... something. Anything. I'm surprised no one has yet. I mean, look at me," he gestured to his limp hair and pale skin, and Froggy continued to sit contentedly on his lap, gazing out in the opposite direction.

Zuko sighed, shivering now that the warming sun was engulfed by the horizon. His furry friend huddled closer to the warmth the firebender emitted.

"All the other elements are fueled by peaceful, harmonious qualities... But fire's the element of destruction." He glanced out up into the star-spotted sky, full moon looming overhead, and Zuko could understand how the watertribe thought it a god. Just as his people revered the suns powerful heat and light, there was something to be said about the soft glow of the moon. He could imagine the spirit of his mother, pale cheeks and whispering eyes, in the face of the silvery orb. And their god didn't tell them to destroy the world. Maybe the waterbenders had the right idea after all.

"What do I do now?"

"For starters, you could stop talking to animals."

He jerked around, spying Toph leaning against the nearest column with a smirk. She sauntered over to his side, plopping down into the spot now free of pebbles.

"I know you like the little guy – and it's obvious you're the only one _he_ likes – but _talking _to him?" Her fingers sought out the soft fur, and Froggy scooted away from her hand as though annoyed at her insult.

Zuko snorted, patting Froggy on the head in praise before running his hand through the silky fur once more. "Aang talks to Appa, and Sokka talks to Momo. Actually," he considered, "everyone talks to Momo. So what's so strange about me talking to Froggy?"

"It's not the talking to animals part," she explained sarcastically, as though speaking to a slow child, "it's the fact that _you're _doing the talking. I'd expect this of Aang, and _definitely _Sokka, but I never pictured you for an animal lover."

His eyes found Froggy's, who was butting his head against Zuko's hand, and he continued the petting apologetically. "I don't really like animals, honestly. This one just seems to like _me_, and who am I to deny the only person who doesn't seem to hate me here?"

Zuko didn't look up, but he could feel the way her sightless eyes roamed over his pitiful form, judging him, unlike the creature on his lap. That was probably another reason why he had grown so attached. Finally, Toph pushed herself to her feet with the help of a handy earthbended pedestal that sunk back into the ground as she brushed the loose dust from her pants. She had no problem with what she called a 'healthy layer of dirt', but the dried out particles dusting the floors of the temple carried the sent of decay, and she didn't want to carry _that _around all day. She scoffed and Zuko glanced up to meet her foggy eyes.

"If you wanna believe that, go on ahead. But if you really think that, you're more of an idiot than I thought you were. Let me know when you're done crying and we can hang out again." She leaned forward, gripping a good section of black hair in her hands and pulled, knocking foreheads hard against the ex-prince's. Zuko winced and pulled away, earth rocking under his crossed legs.

"Ouch," he moaned, rubbing the sore spot with the heel of his hand. Froggy hopped off his lap and down the hall, realizing that that was the end of his petting. "What was _that _for?"

Toph smiled sadly, nursing her own forehead, although seeming not as affected by the collision as Zuko. "It's how I show affection."

She shuffled back to the doorway, small rocks leaping away before her feet. Finally she turned and stuck her tongue out at him, before racing off down the hallway.

Zuko frowned, watching her disappear with some confusion. "What just happened...?" Unfortunately, Froggy wasn't there to answer for him.

Sokka, however, peeked his head in through the open doorway, responding with a grin, "I don't know. Why don't you tell _me_ instead of talking to _yourself_."

"Well, at least I'm not talking to a badgerfrog this time..." the other boy didn't seem to get the reference, but didn't dwell on it. Instead he ambled over to where Zuko sat, taking up Toph's previous spot. They both took in the cool and comforting glow of the moon for a moment, waiting for the other to speak first. Out of the corner of his eye, Zuko could see the soft moonlight playing along the edges of the other boy's tan jaw, illuminating the slight stubble of a long day. He thought of his own smooth and hairless chin with a small frown. He had been positive he was older than the watertribesman, but the warrior was already shaving? Maybe the people of the poles were just hairier than the rest of the world. Still, the light stubble didn't look out of place on the boy, and accentuated the strong edges of his jaw to make him look older than he really was.

However old he was...

Zuko was the first to break the silence. "Why are you here?" he sighed, thinking about all the things the other teen could be (and most likely would _rather_ be) doing. The new toy feeling had washed through the rest of the group by the end of the second day, and Sokka was the only person to continue seeking him out for something other than chores or bending practice. He knew that there would come a day when the novelty wore off, and he would be left alone as always, but until then he couldn't stop the guilty little part of his heart that _wanted _Sokka to be fascinated with him.

A hurt look crossed the other boy's face for a hint of a second, and he cursed his tactless tongue. "I haven't seen you since this morning.... and wouldn't you like to know what the group thinks we should do now?" He nodded, not trusting himself to speak again in case he said something else that was unintentionally offensive. Sokka cheered up straight away regardless, leaning back on one hand and flicking Zuko playfully on the nose with the other. "Toph and Aang were talking about how their original benders were animals, the badgermole and skybison, and apparently waterbending was made from watching the moon. Is there anything like that, that could teach you the original way to firebend? And don't look so cross, I _just_ flicked you on the nose."

"Why is it that no one can show affection the _normal _way? Seriously... I'm going to end up in bruises again by the end of the week," he grumbled, rubbing at the pink tip of his nose. Sokka smiled, pulling the firebender in with one arm and dropping his ponytailed head on top of the paler boy's fluffy hair. They both ignored the other's blush, concerned enough with hiding their own.

"Nah, that's Toph. _I _am perfectly fine with hugs and stuff. Completely _manly _hugs and stuff like that."

Zuko snorted, reaching in and poking the broader teen in the side, chuckling when he produced a rather _manly _high-pitched squeak. The other boy was always doing things like this, hugging him or throwing an arm around his shoulders. Over time he had come to realize that everyone in the group communicated through touch as often as spoken word, but Zuko was not used to such _intimateness_. Growing up, his mother had always held her warm and waiting arms out for him, but his father kept an icy hard front despite his abilities with warmth. Touch for pleasure and comfort was as foreign to Zuko as the rough and unrefined languages of the far north. But still the other boy tried, pulling him into a warmth that completely belied the snowy climate he heralded from.

And Zuko found himself never wanting to leave it.

_There's nothing shameful about friendly touch_, he told himself, mentally shutting out the hissing voice in his mind that sounded suspiciously like Ozai. He was away from him now and could make his own decisions. Still, he found himself growing too comfortable in Sokka's hold, and slowly eased out of the strong arms, leaning against the other's side instead. The warmth was still extremely inviting, an in the end it was only through force of will the he didn't relish in it forever.

It was a fight to recall the spoken half of the conversation, and he considered it with an all too common frown. "They say we learned firebending from the dragons, but that won't help me. They're all extinct."

Sokka brought his hand to his chin and tapped his knuckles against the peach fuzz a few times, looking to the moon for guidance. Something seemed to occur to him. "How did your people learn from _dragons_? Wouldn't they just bite your heads off or something?"

"I wouldn't know. I never got to see any."

"Oh yeah."

Zuko sighed softly and let his head fall back against the firm muscle of the shoulder behind him. His eyes once again gravitated towards the great silvery orb hanging gently in the sky, as though held aloft by hundreds of tiny, sparkling spider's webs of stars. Uncle had once told him the story of Circeli, who challenged the moon to a sewing contest, and was turned into a spider for her arrogance. He, personally, had always thought her punishment harsh – was the cold moon so unforgiving that she had to ruin someone's life for going against her views? But something had reverberated through him at the tale.

His own father had done the same thing.

Thoughts of his uncle and warmhearted camp stories took him in a different direction, one in which he suddenly remembered a story from what seemed like long ago. He turned his head to look up into Sokka's smiling eyes. "Uncle said that the Sun Warriors learned the art from watching the the dragons fly through the sky. Supposedly, that's why we can breathe fire if we learn to control our breathing just right." A glint formed in Sokka's eyes, and he knew what he wanted to ask. "And _yes_, I can breathe fire. Well..." he thought better of it, "maybe not right now, with my firebending not even working right, but I usually can."

The glint didn't fade, as he had fully expected, and Zuko huffed, turning around to fully face the other teen. If he was going to do this, it was only going to be once. He didn't want to give Sokka any excuse to ask for him to do it again.

He took a deep breath, feeling the slow burn of his own internal fire warm it, but not nearly enough; the breath came out as steam, and Sokka continued waiting patiently. The next breath was deeper, and he focused on wrapping the packet of air in fiery hot tendrils, engulfing the air as fuel and expelling it in a show of fire – hot and bright, yet small enough to not burn the teen in front of him. Sokka laughed and applauded him, pulling him in again to knuckle him on the head.

"See!" He shouted cheerfully, seeming to not care about the hollow echo it made as it echoed out into the canyon before them. "You're firebending's still there. Maybe you just need to go to where those Sun Warriors lived and check it out. Sure, they may all be dead, but... I don't know, maybe you'll pick up some fire-magic tricks while you're there."

Zuko shoved the other boy off his head, feeling the corner of his mouth tug up into the beginnings of a smile. Sokka always seemed to have that effect on him. Still, the other boy had a point. "Yeah, I guess. And I'll take Aang along with me. He should see where his firebending came from too." It may have been his imagination, but Sokka seemed to slump some at the suggestion of bringing Aang. Would the teen really miss the boy if they were only gone for a day or two? "We'll try to be back as soon as possible, and we're almost out of meat. I trust you can hunt some for us while we're gone, Mr._ Meat and Sarcasm Guy_?"

Sokka shoved him, hard, but he looked up to find only laughter in his blue eyes. "I'll catch plenty of food, Mr._ My-favorite-dish-doesn't-even-have-meat_. You and Aang just go and learn fire-magic so Katara can stop nagging him to not mess around. Oh yeah!" He seemed to remember something and jumped to his feet, holding out a hand for Zuko to take. "She's done with dinner, so we can go tell them your idea. We're having monkeycrab tonight!"

Briefly Zuko wondered where they had managed to find the usually shore-faring animal, but shook away the thought, realizing that Sokka was still waiting for him. The hand was large and warm around his own, and Sokka easily pulled him to his feet, silently steadying him as a wave of verdigo hit. The other boy didn't seem to think much on Zuko's rapidly deteriorating health, but Sokka at least seemed to realize when he was needed, even if it was only as a firm and steady hand.

* * *

That night, dinner was alive with mirth, as though the Avatar and his firebending teacher were about to learn from the dragons themselves, rather than from the crumbling ruins their worshipers had left behind. He had came down with Sokka, expecting to grab his plate then return to his room. Sokka apparently had other ideas, and refused to let go of his leg until he was seated (albeit uncomfortably) on the cushion right beside the stubborn teen. Toph had punched him on the arm (again) and told him it was_ about time _he stopped being a hermit. Aang didn't eat the monkeycrab – which despite Zuko's initial reservations was actually pretty tasty, if a bit crunchy – but gobbled up seconds, then thirds of the vegetable and rice dish Katara had made especially for him.

He caught the boy in the wheelchair – Teo, his name was – staring at him every few seconds when he thought Zuko didn't notice. But this didn't bother the golden eyed boy. In the past, when people stared it was in disgust for either his scar or what it meant. Now, however, he saw past the ideals of the past, and noticed the rise of an eyebrow, nervous smile, discreet glances. He couldn't blame the younger boy for being curious, after all, he _was _a foreign prince among peasants. Or at least, he _used _to be. Now he was just as much of a peasant as the rest of them.

But by this point, Zuko didn't mind.

Aang laughed at something Sokka had said, then turned to face the withdrawn firebender with a face-splitting grin. "Hey, Zuko, what time should we leave to go see the Sun Warriors tomorrow? How long will it take to get there? Should we bring anything? Have you ever been there before?" All was said in rapid fire, and Zuko wondered how Aang could still breathe. Probably using his airbending somehow...

"We leave at dawn," he confirmed, ignoring the slack-jawed expression on Sokka's face at the mention of the early hour. "It shouldn't take more than half a day on your skybison, so we should be back in two days, three at the latest. And... I can't keep track of everything else you asked, so just assume the answer's no and learn to speak a bit clearer."

The insult flew over the younger boy, who continued to chatter on to anyone who'd listen about how excited he was to _'_go on a field trip with Zuko'. As if this was all just a game... Couldn't the Avatar be serious for once?! Still, his mood was contagious, and soon everyone was happily participating in the discussion, even asking for souvenirs as if they were going on a vacation. Only one person other that the ex-prince seemed to be immune to the general cheer.

Katara practically seethed in her seat, glaring at the once enemy throughout the meal for daring to join them. Her cushion was scooted up close to Aang's, but slightly farther away from the makeshift table, almost as though to guard his back. He knew that she could, and would, cause many problems with their leaving tomorrow. There had to be _some _way to calm her down...

He brought the chopsticks back down to his plate distractedly, before jolting when they touched smooth porcelain. The corner that had housed the soft cooked vegetables was empty, and he was pleasantly surprised with how much he had managed to get down before feeling sick. Perhaps this sickness was finally dissipating.

_Still_, he thought, setting down his chopsticks, _it'd be best to stop eating now before I push my luck_.

Toph's head cocked in his direction, and he knew he was caught. The short girl elbowed him in the ribs, before scooting the chopsticks closer to his idle hand. At least she didn't announce his troubles to the rest of them... Still, when he looked up, he found Katara glaring, once again, at him. It seemed she wasn't too pleased with him not eating her food.

"What," she snarled, digging into a piece of meat ferociously, "is my food not good enough for you, _Prince _Zuko?"

"It's not that–" he tried to explain, but she would have none of it.

"Well if you don't like _this_, you can starve for all I care."

Sokka made to stand up, but Zuko was quicker, leaping up and grabbing her outstretched arm as gently as he could with this frustration burning through his veins. She started to pull away, and he used that momentum to haul her from her seat and out towards the hall. "I think Katara and I need to talk." Katara huffed and glared like a child who hadn't gotten their way, and pulled her arm from his, but still followed him out into the empty hallway. Once they were out of earshot, he turned on her. "What's your problem?"

"What's _yours_?! Oh, wait, I know! You're a rich and spoiled _jerk_ who's too good for our _peasant _food!"

Zuko exhaled roughly, rubbing the bridge of his nose between thumb and forefinger. He might stand a chance if he could get a word in edgewise... "Katara, I liked your food." Already, she looked ready to argue. "It was well-cooked, and tasted better than most of the food I ate while I was _in _the Fire Nation. It's just... I haven't been feeling well lately, and I can't seem to keep anything down. I'd rather not eat the food and miss the good taste, than to have to taste it again, half-digested."

Finally, she started to loosen up, and she settled to leaning against the rough corridor wall. He came to lean beside her, before letting his weakened legs give out and sliding down to sit by her feat. She followed soon after.

"But that's not what's really been bothering you," he prodded quietly, picking at the dirt beneath his fingernails to put up a feeling of casualness.

She glanced back towards the dining room, double-checking to make sure no wandering ears were focused there. It was difficult to tell with Toph though, and they figured that if she heard, she heard. "It's not," she confirmed. "I'm not entirely comfortable with you in our group yet." He snorted. That much was obvious. "And I don't like how close you are to my brother. What are you planning now?"

Heat scored his cheeks, although he couldn't pinpoint the exact reason. He didn't know why the boy was so friendly either.

"I'm not planning anything, honest. Your brother's just a really nice person, who's taken to seek me out each day. If you've got a problem with that, talk to him about it."

She nodded, and he knew she'd do just that. Then she grew silent, and picked at a loose thread in her dress. He almost thought she was done talking to him, when she spoke once more, "you never apologized to me for what you did in the caves."

So _that's _what had her hip-wrappings in a twist.

"I know. And I won't."

She sputtered, turning to glare at him in shock and anger. Obviously she felt that this was the wrong answer, and that he had better change it fast, before she decided to forgo waterbending and simply attack him with her fists. Still, she had to learn that her views weren't always the right ones, and that there were two sides to every argument.

He leaned forward to kneel before her, grasping her cool hands in his own. "Katara, come back to the Fire Nation with me. Leave your brother and the Avatar behind and we can cleanse the world of all its evils together."

Although his voice was a dull monotone without conviction, she still balked at his words, flinging her hands from his and bringing them to her waterskin to attack.

"How dare you!" She screamed, jumping to her feet. A couple strands of hair fell free from its tie, and Zuko considered telling her that she would look better with it all down. "I would never betray Sokka, much less for _you_! I knew you never changed!"

"See? We're even now." Zuko finally let out the knowing smirk, leaning back against the stone wall once again. Just as he had thought, she had gotten defensive, proving his point all the more. Not only was she being unreasonable, but hypocritical as well. Zuko always did like being right – who didn't? But her expression had never changed to shame or embarrassment, instead flowing through confusion and doubt, and he recalled that she was only fourteen. So it was to be in laymen's terms then, huh? "Your first reaction wasn't in disgust at helping me, or even the Fire Nation – it was in betraying your own sibling." Still no comprehension. Zuko wanted to bang his head against the wall behind him. _How_ had these uneducated and half-witted children defied him for two whole years?

"Back in the caves, it was a choice between you – someone I had only spoken to for about an hour, really – and my own sister," he said slowly, as if he were talking to a small child. Actually, by this point, the difference was pretty moot to him. "Sure, I get that you were angry I didn't choose your side, but you have to think about it from my point of view. Here I was being given the opportunity to rejoin my family for the first time in two years, and some girl wants me to give that up because she'd rather run around the world playing with penguins, or... or going shopping in different towns, stealing scrolls from pirates..." He waved his arms about wildly, as he was wont to do when agitated or upset. "You meant nothing to me, you know... just as I'm sure I _still_ mean nothing to you.

"Besides, the Dai Lee had my uncle's life in jeopardy, and if I didn't choose Azula's side, they would have killed him like he was nothing. I couldn't let that happen." His tired eyes looked up to meet hers, and was relieved to see that hers no longer held that same fury, only the sour grimace of someone who understood what was going on around them, even if they didn't like it.

By now, the other's were probably done with dinner, and it was starting to get late in the evening.

"You should go back to your room now," she suggested, averting her eyes and stepping back towards the doorway. "You've got an early morning."

Then she was gone, and sleep was sounding more and more attractive by the moment.

* * *

_The wide, empty bed was cold against his skin, sheets pooled around his waist and thighs, hugging hips and caressing calves. A cool nighttime breeze fluttered through the open window. He shivered and sighed, rolling over to lie on his side._

_Something warm and soft, skin against skin, pressed up against his back and side. _

_His lip quirked at the leg thrown over his hip, and he bit down on the corner to keep from groaning, moaning, or any of the other sounds a sleeping person wouldn't usually make. There were rules for this sort of engagement, and he knew this would all end abruptly should he make any sudden moves or noises before his partner was fully absorbed in the ministrations. _

_Still, it was difficult not to move when slim hips straddled his own and rocked slowly, oh so gently._

_Only when his partner let out a moan did he move, and leaned forward quickly, pushing the other back against the bed. He straddled their waist as they had done moments before, and ran shaking fingers down the pale and slim chest, nipping and kissing along after the trail. A bite brushed over the other's throat, only to be soothed away by gentle, though heated kisses that traveled up to the smooth jaw, over the chin, and around the panting mouth. Their hips rubbed up against each other with tantalizing friction, and he gasped against the soft lips, before moving in for the kill. Tongues battled for dominance, swallowing the other's gasps and moans as the two grew closer and closer to the ceiling, sky, the heavens...._

_As his whole body tensed with pleasure and the white fire burst behind his eyes, his lover's eyes found his own._

_Gold like treasure, gold like fire, gold like..._

* * *

**AN:** Mmk. Two 'special dreams' then. And no, Sokka's not quite ready to accept that he'd really rather do his best friend than his girlfriend. Poor boys. Things would be much easier on you if you just admitted your feelings, you know... but it wouldn't be as much fun for us, so scratch that thought!

This chapter was 7,995 words long.

**Next Chapter:** Firebending Masters. Seriously this time. Or, at least they leave to go see them. We'll see how far I can get them in one chapter. =]


	9. Ch 8: Residuum

**Date Completed: **4 March 2009

**Pairing: **Sokka/Zuko

**Disclaimer:** Not mine.

**Summary:** When Zuko asked to join the Gaang and teach the avatar firebending, he mentioned that there was "not very much time left," and they assumed he meant until Sozin's Comet. But what if there was another restriction on his time –one he hasn't told anyone about? (Much angst, drama llama, and romance-smut. Oh yeah, and a good dosage of omg NOOO! )

**AN:** No, I haven't given up. I just hit a MAJOR writer's block with this one, and … I'm still not happy with how it turned out. But the next one will be more excited, dramatic, funny, etc. You can think of this more as... filler? Sure. Let's go with that.

* * *

The pale and pearly moon stood sentinel over the intricately hanging towers, casting it's iridescent light across the ivory beams and painting its pathways in all shades of gray. Dust motes, that had lain in wait for the early morning hours' glow danced white in the silvery beams. It was completely silent save for the sounds of sleep and the trickling water, its inhabitants lost in the realm of their dreams. Only one was unable to find solstice in the night.

A young man – hardly sixteen and already knowing too much of the horrors of this world – lay shivering in his cot. Although there wasn't enough of a breeze to stir the visible fluffy tufts of ebony hair, his covers were wrapped up around him like a shield against his imaginary foes, and a few beads of perspiration lingered along his cheeks and clung to the edge of the pointed chin. Or perhaps those were tears, as another crystalline drop followed its brothers' trail down the pale-as-night face. He let out a weak whimper and huddled farther into his cocoon. Unease painted his features as eyebrows pulled together, fists clenching the blanket, dusty pink lips caught in a pained grimace.

_...worthless..._

Another moment passed, perhaps two, before he whimpered again, pulling his legs and arms closer to the heat of his body. Firebenders naturally emitted a high level of body heat, something he had always taken for granted. Now his body wasn't doing its job, and even the raging fire inside couldn't warm the toes and fingers farthest from his core. But then again, Uncle had always said that a sickness would get worse before getting better.

Still, there was something unsettling in the ember beneath.

He drifted somewhere in between the seas of sleep and consciousness, wanting nothing more than to fade off into his dreams. But something lurked in the darkness, something with a deadly voice and poison words to steal away his soul.

_...you're useless to them now..._

There it was again, the shadowy caress tickling at the edges of his consciousness. It was always there, dragging him down into his turbulent seas whenever he lost, when he wasn't smart enough, strong enough, good enough... It had crept into the back of his mind after his banishment, whispering to him the frayed ends of the terrible truth; that his life wasn't worth anything to anyone.

_...pretty soon they'll get tired of you too..._

Uncle had tried (over and over and over again) to tell him that he was wrong, that he was loved and meant the world to the old man, but it was blaringly obvious that everything bad that happened in their lives was due to his weakness. The older man, however, had never given up, and one day Zuko had grown to believe it. Sure, his nation hated him and most of his family wanted him dead, but at least he still had Uncle.

Then he was given the glorious opportunity to be forgiven for all his past failures and welcomed back into his family and birthright with open arms, and there was no way he could refuse. Wasn't this what he had always wanted? To be loved? But somewhere in the bottom of his heart he knew that he already was, and that he was betraying the only person who honestly cared for him.

_...and then you'll be all alone..._

Zuko pushed back his sopping bangs with a groan, falling back to lean against the faintly green slate wall. A piece of stone shifted and cracked behind him, erupting dust at the pressure. The air temple's bathrooms were in need of some major renovations.

The acrid taste burnt at the back of his throat and he leaned over again, porcelain bowl at the ready. Unfortunately, he hadn't been as lucky the first time around; Katara was sure to pitch a fit if she caught wind of the mess he had unintentionally made when he first awoke that morning. To his defense, there wasn't a bowl anywhere in sight. By now he couldn't even say what was causing him to get sick so violently. At first, it had been after eating a large meal, which could easily be explained away by the persistent cold he'd been fighting for way over a month by now. Over two months, even.

But then his body had grown accustomed to making him miserable, and didn't sit idle while he learned the new routines.

A bead of sweat _or something just as foul _crept along his left temple, sliding down the pert slope of his nose to drip into the pot he was clinging to like a lifeboat. Slowly his stomach started to settle, and he leant his forehead against the smooth stone for a moment to make sure the sickness had passed. Something told him that "I didn't think I'd get sick again" wouldn't be a reasonable excuse as to why he threw up all over _Katara's _hallways. There was already enough animosity towards him as it was.

He was honestly amazed that they hadn't kicked him out yet.

Sure, he _was_ (just as he had said) the only firebender around who could possibly teach Aang firebending, but besides that he had very little else to bring to the proverbial table. He couldn't cook like Katara, couldn't hunt like Sokka, and the only joke he had tried to tell had been met with an awkward silence and that slack-faced expression that screamed, "_this is Zuko. Zuko's the only firebender willing to help you. On top of that, he's an idiot too. _" At least Sokka wouldn't be alone in that category anymore.

Idly, he ran the bitten remains of a once well-groomed nail along the gold flecks still clinging desperately the trim along the bottom of the wall. Pieces flaked off at the slightest touch. A small smile graced Zuko's face at the irony of it all. For all Aang's talk about how selfless and un-materialistic the Air Temple Monks had been, their very bathroom walls had been decorated with expensive gold leaf, even if it was in small amounts. And then there were the (smashed remains of) ornate pottery and magnificent wall murals that must have cost an arm and leg to have done. But his people had made it commonplace to wear robes costing more than most peasants' yearly wages, and eating food befitting royalty. _Well_, he amended, _he __**had **__been royalty_...

But when it came down to it, the pricy décor had done little to save the Air Civilization. Perhaps they would have been better off fully embracing their extravagant side.

Outside, the sun was starting to rise. The first ray slid up over the wide windowsil and fell to the floor, splashing it with the warm yellow light. Seconds later another followed it, then another, until the only shadows left were hiding in uppermost corners of the eastern wall. Down below, Zuko could hear the morning's beginnings; snores were tapering off, a crackling yawn, lilting laugh... Someone must've fallen asleep in an awkward position again, then. Toph was an unusually churlish girl, and if she was laughing it was _always _at someone else's misfortune. Plus, with all the teens (and pre-teens) sleeping in the same place, it was strange to wake up with someone _not _entangled in your sleeping mat or hugging your arm. Zuko would have been jealous if he weren't afraid that Katara would drown him in his sleep.

Okay, so maybe he was a little jealous.

Regardless, his separation from the group was for the best. He wasn't exactly comfortable sharing his feelings or dreams – as the rest were wont to do – and if he slept so close, he'd keep them all up with his nightmares. And it'd be a little more difficult to hide ..._whatever _was wrong with him, too. Nobody would believe "I'm fine, really" if he followed it up by getting dizzy or throwing up.

Still, the childish heart inside cried as he stalked back to _his _room to get ready for the day, hidden away from the cheerful laughing down below.

* * *

_Thunk_

Sokka scowled, batting the maplecone out of his hair, and shot a dark look up to the grinning teen above him. Why Zuko was perched in the tree, he had no idea, but if the pale teen wanted to play with him, he had a few ideas that would probably be funner than chucking maplecones at each other. Better for his 'do, too.

_Thunk_

Sneaky little rat... Sokka hadn't even seen him move that time. He contemplated a return attack, but sighed and gave up at the 'innocent' act the other boy was pulling; head tilted against the base of the tree, long pale legs swinging careless over the edge of the thick branch. Hopefully he'd learned his lesson?

_Thunk_

"Mmpfh. Zuu, cut it out..." he groaned. He couldn't locate the spiny nut in his hair, but he'd felt it strike, so he knew it was there... somewhere...

The tree-borne teen let out a laugh, eyes crinkling, and for a moment Sokka could imagine what he would've looked like without his infamous scar. He would have been one cute kid. Still, the laugh curled up at the ends like a fake mustache, and Sokka found himself frowning. Zuko's laugh was usually low and bark-like, as though he had only meant to chuckle but the sound had somehow forced its way up anyway. No, the face was the same, the body was the same, but the laughter was definitely not Zuko's.

No, that sounded more like...

"Toph?"

Sokka finally opened his eyes, blinking at the sight before him. Toph stood by his head, a pebble floating inches from his face and fingers poised to snap once again. _That's right_, he recalled guiltily, snapping himself out of his dream, _we're still in a war. Damn._

Obviously he wasn't doing _something _she wanted him to do, since she poked him hard in the side with her big toe, 'glancing' down at him with a feral grin. "I'm not Princess, but you're gonna miss him if you don't get your lazy bum up. They were leaving for the Sun Warrior Temple right after early breakfast, remember?" She paused briefly, as if to give him time to acknowledge her truth, but didn't wait long enough for him to even nod his head. "Well, we ate while you were dreaming about _Zuko_, and–"

"_Did they leave yet?!" _he demanded, flinging himself out of his sleep roll, which he found in annoyance had entangled his legs as he slept. His fingers felt thick against the thin cords, and he cursed the designer of these wretched things. Didn't they realize that the sleeper would be completely vulnerable until they could free themselves from the monstrosity?

Toph's grubby foot tapped on the edge of his vision, and he chanced a peek up into sightless eyes. Definitely angry about being interrupted, then. Seeing as how he had lived a good majority of his life surrounded by women of all ages, he _should _know how to avoid confrontation by now. Unfortunately, he was a slow learner, and the first few lessons were always painful.

"No, they did _not _leave yet. Maybe if you carry me there I'll tell you which temple they're flying out of."

Of course. Everything was for a price with Toph. "Sure thing. Hop aboard the Sokka-Express!" She snorted at the ridiculous title, but leapt onto his back regardless, dirty ankles clinging around the sides of his ribs and a fist firm in his wolf-tail. Perhaps a bit too firm, as his eyes started watering and he had to forcibly resituate her hand to his shoulder. Which she clung to just as savagely. "If you don't trust me to not drop you, why'd you want a salmonpiggy-back ride?"

He couldn't see her face, but he could feel her warm breath ghost along the base of his neck. "I do trust you."

"Thanks, Toph," he said softly, locking away this moment in his mind and heart. The younger girl was like another little sister, and although she didn't give her trust easily, when she said she trusted you, you couldn't help but feel like you were invincible. Kind of like another raven-haired teen he knew... "So," he reminded, bouncing her gently with a hop in his step, "where'd the rest of the gaang go off to?" He simply couldn't help himself. "Get it? GAang? 'Cause we're a group, and Aang's the Avatar?"

He was swatted on the head for his trouble, and a small arm shot out over his shoulder in the vague direction of the Eastern doorway. "I can't feel where we're going too well from up here, so just head to the bison stables." Obediently, he trotted out the doorway and down three flights of stairs – getting spurred on by dirty heels all the while – before something occurred to him. As though sensing his question she stated, "yes, they're taking Appa. Don't you ever pay attention to what we talk about?"

"Yeah, it's just... I can't believe I couldn't figure that out for myself."

"Eh, it's still morning. It's too early to think. Besides, I got a free ride out of it."

"True."

Katara stood low in a waterbending stance, bending the dirty water out of a very drenched Appa's fur, while Aang hovered opposite her, blowing tufts of fur away and across the wide, open ceiling. Quite a bit clung to his monk robes, and he had fashioned himself a beard and full mustache with the arrant fluff. Sokka considered making a goatee of his own when he noticed Zuko, diligently packing what looked like little green rocks into the sacks they were to bring with them. Everyone was going about their daily business, and obviously the group wasn't going to address the fact that they were about to lose two of their members.

_Just go about as normal, and you can forget all your problems, huh?_

He bent down to let Toph down and strode as confidently as he could fake it, to his new friend's side.

"What're those?" he intoned, reaching around the shorter's shoulder to grab one of the 'rocks' from the nearest stack. For his part, Zuko jumped at the sudden appearance, but at least he didn't squeal like Sokka was prone to doing. Sokka mostly ignored the other's reaction, instead centering on the squishy green... thing in his hand. Despite being leather dry on the outside, Sokka got the impression that if he were to squeeze, he'd end up with a hand full of mush. The shell was light green and covered with raised vein-like ripples, and smelled faintly of mint and smoked cedar. Or maybe that was just the shoulder of the boy he was resting his chin on.

Pale fingers plucked the ball from his hand, and turned his head slightly to catch Sokka's eye with his gold one. "It's a lettuce wrap," Zuko informed him, voice taking on the 'holier-than-thou' tone that had chased them for years. It could get annoying, but the ex-prince only spoke that way when he was trying to teach something, and since Zuko seemed to really enjoy sharing the information, Sokka couldn't fault him for the way he said it. At least the pale boy was enjoying himself. "Well, it was _supposed _to be a lettuce wrap, but Aang doesn't eat meat, and we had cabbage instead of lettuce, but they still taste pretty good, I guess."

"If you like vegetables."

"That's a big part, yeah."

Zuko's breath was sweet against his cheek, and Sokka suddenly realized how close they were. It wouldn't take much to close the distance between them, just a slight turn of the head. It probably wouldn't even be that hard, Zuko's warmth leaning gently against his chest almost subconsciously. He could even blame it on the heat. Or the early hour. Or he could call it another 'friend thing', like he had with the first hug, and the first time he had eaten dinner in Zuko's room, curled up on the bed beside the thin teen. He had accepted all the other excuses so far, so why wouldn't he this time?

_Because friends don't kiss each other._

Immediantly, Sokka felt ashamed at his own ability to manipulate his new friend. He was always preaching about how the Fire Nation was full of monsters and that they'd do whatever they could to get what they wanted, but here he was, about to kiss his Fire Nation friend and say it was completely normal. What was worse was that he could've gotten away with it too. Not only was he taking advantage of a friend, but it was Zuko, who had had so few real friends in the past that he couldn't determine what was 'friendly behavior' or not. Sokka was pretty sure that most of the things he pulled fell a bit beyond just 'friendly'.

_And this is why Suki should be here right now. If she were here I wouldn't have to lust after my newest friend._

"_..._Sokka? Are you okay?"

Sokka came back to himself, noticing that Zuko had turned around fully between his arms so that he could see Sokka better. The move had also considerably lessened the space between them, and Sokka felt fire flood his knee and foot that were leaning playfully against those of the other boy's. Zuko didn't seem to notice it at all though, and Sokka cursed his own manipulative heart. "Yeah, I'm fine. You're just gonna come back looking like a stickleafbug if you only eat those veggie ball things. Wanna stay a bit longer so I can bring you back a rabbitsnake or something?"

"I can handle it," Zuko argued, turning around to plop the last of the 'lettuce wraps' into the food bag. "We ate less in Ba Sing Sei and besides, if we wait any longer we won't get there until way after nightfall."

_Right. They want to leave as soon as possible. _"Oh, yeah," he mumbled. Gently he removed his arms from around Zuko's shoulders, stepping back to give the other boy his space. Zuko's shoulders slumped in what Sokka assumed was relief.

_It's not like he really likes me or anything... _

Behind him, Aang and Katara were wrestling with a few brushes, trying to comb out some of the dead fur still clinging to Appa's coat. His sister, too, was now covered in Sky Bison fur, and she looked like any minute she would freeze the beast and call it quits. Time to intervene.

"Hey, Zuko, I'm gonna go help my sister and Aang brush Appa," he informed, plastering a smile across his tanned face. Hopefully it didn't look as over-stretched as it felt. Either Zuko didn't notice, or didn't feel it was his place to point it out. A single golden eye peaked over the crimson-clothed shoulder at him, but Zuko jerked back around the moment he caught the ocean blue eyes.

"Oh... Okay then."

Sokka hesitated for a moment, waiting to see if maybe the paler boy would ask for him to stay, but Zuko had already gone back to loading up foodstuffs, so he left the other to his work and shuffled over to where his sister and Aang were now playing more than brushing. The stray tufts of fur were still mostly matted with water, and so Katara was launching bits at a laughing Aang, who – being able to control _all _the elements except firebending – was having a much easier go at defending himself. Sokka hadn't seen _who _started the fight specifically, but he had a pretty good guess. A particularly muddy chunk of fur collided with the side of Katara's head via airbending; he had to admit, his sister could let loose and be a teenage girl when around the monk, at least. She really was too serious for her own good sometimes. Again, the pair were acting as though Aang wasn't about to leave them for the first time in nearly a year. He wouldn't be the one to burst that bubble.

Grinning, he hefted a plate-sized brush up in one hand. "Need any help here?"

Aang jumped, letting the water he was bending crash back to the soaked marble floor distractedly in his rush to look innocent before his crush's older brother. '_Of course I wasn't flirting with your sister or drenching her with water when she's conveiniently wearing her summer clothes_', his smile tried to say.

_Nice try, Kid. If I hadn't tried the same thing so many times in the past, I probably would believe it, too._

"Sure!" he agreed, enthusiastically as always, even if the smile didn't quite make it to his eyes. "Appa's coat takes _forever _to brush out!"

Katara snorted playfully, resting her hand on her jutted hip. "It probably wouldn't take so long if we could brush him without getting into a _wet fur fight_." here Aang blushed apologetically. She pointed up near the horns where the fur stuck out in every direction. "We haven't gotten his horns yet, so you can go ahead and start there."

Mentally, Sokka groaned. He _hated _brushing by the horns. The creature's dome-shaped head was slippery right after a bath, and there hadn't been a time yet when he hadn't ended up falling on his face. That was probably why Katara kept putting him on horn duty. He also took the longest, and that, more than anything, said volumes about how she felt about Aang leaving. "But you _know _how much I hate brushing by Appa's horns..."

"Quit whining," she brushed off his complaints. "Besides, you're a warrior, right? Grow up. And you don't wanna look stupid in front of _Zuko_, do you?"

She had hissed out 'Zuko' the same way she said 'Fire Nation' and 'Firebenders', and Sokka just grumbled and conceded anyway, grabbing great handfuls of semi-damp fur and hoisting himself up to sit on top of the animal's huge head. Bits of waterlogged fur clung to his now damp pants, arms, feet... but Appa's head was a good two or three feet above the heads of the rest of the gang, and he could easily keep an eye on them all from his vantage point between the two great horns. Off to the side, Toph had joined Zuko and the two were conversing fiercely in muted tones. So maybe they weren't as dedicated in trying to make everything appear mundane... If he slowed down his brush, he could just make out some of what Zuko was saying.

"...to wake him... didn't care to see... could've just left."

Toph rolled her eyes, shaking off the hands that had flown to her shoulders mid-conversation. She obviously had a different point of view on things. "...go while he was sleeping... if he woke up... you just gone–"

"That's not it!"

"–then what is it, then?" she asked slowly, clearly enunciating her words as though she were talking to someone much younger than her. Zuko appeared cowed, and mumbled something incoherent to her.

Sokka started to lean forward to hear better, but the wet fur beneath his hands gave way at his weight, and he went tumbling down over Appa's great head. Thankfully (or perhaps, unfortunately), a large pile of sodden Sky Bison fur softened the fall. Still, he landed hard on his back, gazing blankly up at Appa, and subsequently, up the huge animal's nose. They might need to clean that out too, by the look of it.

Aang flit over to where he lay, arms waving wildly, but not being much of a help in assisting Sokka back up. "You okay Sokka? It's a good thing we had already brushed around his front, otherwise you would've landed on the ground. That probably would've hurt! You alright?"

"Yeah, sure... I just slipped, I guess." _And missed whatever Zuko was telling Toph. I bet they were talking about me..._

With an echoing _thunk_, Katara's brush joined Aang's abandoned one on the floor, and her padded footsteps were easily audible in the sudden silence that had broken out from his unexpected fall. Toph and Zuko were both staring at him, having ended their hushed argument the moment it was obvious they were being eavesdropped on.

The carefully constructed carefree atmosphere had cracked and shattered somehow, dying at the revolution that two of their group were going to leave them soon, and no amount of pretending could disquise that fact. Internally, Sokka berated himself for his fall; it was irrational, sure, but somehow he felt that if he could've just kept up with the facade of normalcy, everything wouldn't feel so... _wrong_. They had started off separate of course, but over the years brought together, they were a family. It would hurt to see one of them go. Zuko might have been new to the group – and in Katara's case, a completely unwelcome addition – but he had still made an impact in their social structure, and Sokka wondered what it would be like to go to bed that night without spending at least an hour lounging on Zuko's bed, discussing girls, the stars, food, anything.

_How could I already be so dependant?_

Unbidden by Sokka's revelation, Zuko slung the food bag over his shoulder and turned to Aang, "We'd better get going before it gets too late to fly. It'll take a while to get there." His tone left no room for argument, and even if Aang wasn't the type to agree to everything anyone told him, he wouldn't have spoken up anyway with the closed-off gleam in Zuko's golden eyes. While the short monk airbent the huge saddle back onto the Sky Bison's back, the ex-prince turned to face Katara, who was toying with the cap of her waterbottle in an attempt to remain calm. Obviously she was still indecisive about the upcoming trip. "I know we talked last night, but I think you need to hear this again: I'm on your side, I want to help Aang, and he's not going to get hurt while we're gone. Even if I have to protect him with my own life." The steely-faced girl nodded sharply. She wouldn't care if he returned safe, so long as Aang was okay.

"If you betray us, I can assure you that you won't live to do it again."

The old Zuko would've bristled at the threat and responded with a choice few of his own, but he had been through a lot since then, and the corner of his mouth turned up in a small smile at her harsh words. "If I were to betray him again, I'd kill _myself _before I could do it again."

"Uh... I got his saddle on. Are you guys okay?"

"Yeah. Let's go."

Aang ascended with the natural grace of an airbender, landing loftily on Appa's head, while Zuko made use of the large iron buckle securing the saddle to the creature's back. He may have followed them for years on all matter of transportation – ship, air balloon, komodorhino – but he'd never ridden on the back of a flying animal, and he clung shakily to the side of the saddle, face slightly green even though they hadn't even left the ground yet. Vaguely Sokka wondered, still laying on the ground where he had fallen, how he'd handle actually _flying_. It would seem both Zuko and Toph had the same problem in that aspect.

Aang grabbed hold of the long leather reins with both hands and gave them an experimental flick. Appa bat his wide tail impatiently. "Alright, buddy, _yip yip_!"

With a roar, the two-ton bison beat its tail again, pushing a wave of air out in all sides. Within seconds they were off, fading into a mere speck in the distance, amazingly fast despite the huge size.

A toe poked his side, and Sokka looked up into foggy green eyes. "They're gone now, you know. You can stop flopping on the ground like a cowsnake and go do... whatever it is you do during the day."

"Yeah," he replied distractedly, pushing himself up off the ground with a sigh. Over the last week he had spent near every minute with the Fire Nation teen, and he felt lost without this constant, like a bender without their element. All the free time in the world with nothing to occupy that time. Sokka wasn't a bender, but he was still bored. He could always sleep...

Toph plodded off to go join Katara, probably to annoy her, and Sokka was left alone again, contemplating lying back down.

He hadn't even gotten to say goodbye.

* * *

Airships were large, slow, and despite the way they floated precariously on gusts of hot air, remained relatively stationary from the passenger's standpoint. Even the smaller balloons, which were known to sway and ripple with the breeze, had some degree of stability to them. Ex-prince Zuko of the Fire Nation had ridden nearly every kind of airship the nations had to offer, and prided himself on having a steely gut to match his frozen heart.

He hadn't, however, anticipated the effect a moving, breathing body could have on his resolve.

The first hour wasn't so bad, and he had gotten through it with much controlled breathing and glances at the harness to assure himself that no, the saddle _wasn't _going to tumble off and send him to his death. But then Aang had gotten bored, and had decided to show Zuko some 'tricks'. "_There's lotsa fun stuff you can do on a Sky Bison! Check out this Barrel Roll!" _It had only taken one glance at the firebender's green face to calm him down again. Sometime after the third or fourth turbulence zone though, Zuko's stomach was starting to protest again, and his head hung heavy over the edge of the saddle, arms limp across the flatness of the saddle's edge. Up at the front, Aang was smiling and content, and Zuko was tempted to knock him off the side to see how calm he'd be then.

He might have switched sides, but he could still have hostile thoughts every once in a while.

A tentative hand on his shoulder had him looking up, gulping audibly when his sense of balance teetered with the changing background. "I know you said you wanted to get there as soon as possible, but are you sure you don't want to take a break for a bit? Maybe take a walk or something?" Aang asked, concerned, but Zuko clenched his eyes closed. The frantic movements of the over-emotional airbender weren't helping his fragile hold on his meager breakfast. Although he probably would've lost it anyway with the way he'd been getting sick so much lately. "Toph usually needs to feel solid ground again by now, so it's not really a big deal..." the boy trailed off, obviously uncomfortable with having this conversation with the older, moodier teen, and was desperately trying not to offend him. "It's not like I'd think anything less of you if–"

"Aang," he interrupted with a scowl, rubbing away determinedly at the pulsing pain that was beginning to build its nest in his temples, "just because we're not all airbenders, doesn't mean we can't handle a little height. It's just... does it have to _move _so much?" As if to illustrate Zuko's point, one of Appa's back right feet came up to scratch behind the knee before it, and the saddle shook with each scratch, and Zuko's fingers were once again white-knuckled against the saddle sides.

The airbender laughed and patted the older teen on the back, a motion Zuko both appreciated and detested. He was older than the other boy, and had ridden in many more flying means of transportation than the young monk, but still couldn't handle the Air Nation's most famous animal.

_Well, technically **he's **the older one, if you count the years he was frozen_, he thought, then shook the idea away. He might have been from a hundred years ago, but his maturity level was more on par with Toph's 'let's poke it with a stick and run' philosophy. Except for times like now, when he could be both comforting and unintentionally condenscending, and just generally driving the ex-prince crazy.

"Is that all?" Aang chuckled, smiling as though Zuko had just told him that he was afraid of _sticks_, or something equally as dangerous. "Appa's not gonna hurt you, and at least if you fall off _him_, he can come and scoop you up before you hit the ground."

The boy had a point. But then the beast shook itself again, and again the firebender's hands flew to the saddle sides.

Sky Bison had their benefits, but he'd take an airship any day.

* * *

_Thunk_

_Thunk_

_Thunk_

"WHAT? Can't a guy relax in peace every once in a while?"

"Nah, you should've learned that by now. And Sparky's gone, so why are you still hanging out in his room? Isn't that kind of creepy-stalkerish? "

Sokka glanced about the sparsely decorated room with no small amount of feigned amazement and a gasp, as though he hadn't been aware of where he was until that moment. "Really? Here I thought this was my own..."

"It's not like you've actually _slept _in your room for a while..."

Laughter and innuendo dipped her vowels, and he had had enough experience with the girl to know when she was trying to imply something. And he didn't like what he was hearing. "I SO haven't been sleeping with him!" he argued, realizing the more... sexual... connotations moments after the smirk reached her blank eyes. "I _meant _that I haven't been sleeping in this _room_! You _know _I've been sleeping with all of you, out by the fountain," he defended. Sure, the firebender was (pardon the pun) hot, but he was also a friend – one that came from a nation raised to shun the unique or unnatural – and he didn't want to ruin whatever fragile friendship camaradarie they had going on between them. Even if he was already taking more than what the ex-prince was probably comfortable giving to a friend.

And he had Suki. He was just craving the water because the wine was too far.

"And why do you always have to throw rocks at me? Why can't you just call my name like a normal person?"

"Because," she replied hautily, flicking another pebble at his forehead, smirking at his scowl, "I'm not a normal person. And Katara wants you, by the way. Something about making a fire since Princess isn't here to bend one."

Sokka scowled at Toph's favorite nickname for his new friend. "You guys could probably do it yourself if you tried hard enough..."

"But it's so much funnier having you try – and fail," she commented dryly, and held out a hand which he took after a moment of inspecting the dirt encrusted fingernails. How her small form could haul him up from the bed, he had no idea. "And you can't just sit here moping around in his _bed _until Sparky gets back here, you know. Katara'd freak if she knew where you were all morning..."

He could feel his cheeks coloring, but he fought to keep it showing on his face and pressed on, "so what if I want to lounge around for a bit? What else is there to do, anyway?"

"_In Zuko's bed_?" she retorted, clearly not buying it. Heat engulfed his face and he realized it didn't matter if it was visible or not; she didn't need to be able to see it anyway.

"I– It's got the softest bed, alright?" the excuse was feeble, and they both knew it. But for some reason unknown to both of them, Toph didn't push the issue for once. Maybe she realized she was treading on the edge of something a bit more personal than funny sleeping patterns, but Sokka was glad for the reprieve. It would be difficult to answer to her when he could hardly answer to himself.

"Go and help Sugar Queen anyway," she ordered, walking in her shuffling step back toward the wooden door she had left open upon finding him, "or I'll earthbend you down there myself."

Sometimes he wished he was a bender, if only to be able to avenge all the times he had been bullied by some sort of element. Thankfully he hadn't had much experience in the hottest one, but with Zuko on the team now, it was only a matter of time. Then again, he could probably still get his revenge without bending; he wasn't the team's plan guy for nothing...

* * *

Up in the sky, the world was grand and blue – a giant canvas for anyone who knew how to manipulate it. Fluffy cumulus clouds could become a turtleduck or mousehawk with a wave of a hand. It was removed from the rest of the world, a silent, flowing current that was similar to water, now that he knew how to bend both. And most importantly, from above the clouds he couldn't see the world, and the world couldn't see him.

Zuko was tossing about in an uneasy sleep in the corner of the saddle behind him, and he felt guilty for not thinking to warn him not to look directly up as they flew. From the side, the clouds were being pushed with the wind as fast as they were, and the world seemed to slow down, but the currents above and below the furry animal were still going at their own rates, and could make even the most experienced air-traveler queasy. Personally, Aang had always loved trying to spot the quickly moving shapes in the clouds, but that might have more to do with him being the Avatar.

_Stomach of Steel. _Just one of the Avatar's many unknown talents.

The firebender had finally nodded off about twenty minutes before, after fighting off a round of airsickness that had him green and reeling yet again, leaning heavily against the side of the saddle like a drunken sailor. Everything in Aang screamed at him to do something, to help, but he knew of the ex-prince's stubbornness firsthand, and figured the best he could do was to let the weary teen sleep off whatever had been bugging him since this morning.

The ride from the beginning was only slightly awkward, mostly because Zuko hadn't seemed to be very interested in conversation. Zuko replied in single syllables to everything he had thrown at him, and even those syllables had been more half-hearted grunts of the distracted variety. By the time he had asked if the other boy wanted a break, he was pretty sure he was being ignored, even if he didn't know why. At least now he knew that it wasn't necessarily because Zuko didn't like him.

An uneven row of chipped marble began sprouting from the hilly ground below, and it wasn't until they had progressed to crumbling pillars that he realized that they had finally made it to the Sun Warriors Temple.

Aang's hand hovered over the slightly shivering shoulder, feeling the flickering heat that was always present when you got close enough to the moody teen. "Zuko," he whispered inaudibly despite the fact that he needed to wake the firebender up. It was as though he thought Zuko wouldn't be as angry if he was woken up quietly. "We're here... and you look like you wanna sleep, but you _did _say to wake you up when we got here... so..."

Foggy amber eyes blinked open and he sat up and nodded groggily, unsuccessfully hiding a wide yawn behind the wrist pressed to his mouth. That was another thing he was quickly discovering. Firebenders awoke with the sun, sure, but slept by it as well, and the sun was already low in the sky. It was no wonder he had fallen asleep halfway there.

They landed between two huge stone pillars, and Aang started airbending most of their supplies behind a large statue of some sort of royal-looking man – one of their gods, maybe? – while Zuko searched along the hillside for anywhere they could stay for the night. He was still exhausted, and it was obvious even to Aang that they couldn't start looking for clues until the morning came to rejuvenate them both.

"I think I found somewhere we can sleep," Zuko's voice muttered weakly from somewhere behind one or two of the many fallen pillars. He followed it to an opening in the hillside obscured only slightly by a wall of thick-growing ivy; a cave wide enough for even Appa to fit under with a bit of room to spare. The ex-prince was already dragging his bedroll over to their sleeping spot, and curled up against the animal's soft fur once Aang had finally convinced Appa to follow them into the cave.

Within minutes, Zuko's breathing had evened out, and Aang leaned back against his oldest friend (by years) with a small smile as he closed his eyes for sleep as well. He might not be a natural firebender, but they had a big day ahead of them tomorrow, and they could use all the sleep they could get.

* * *

Night had him creeping into out of his bedroll and up the rickety stairs to the long golden hallway, bathed in bronze in the silvery glow of the moon peering in through the tall window at the furthest end. He found the door he was looking for, and held the edge of his shirt against the knob as he turned it, to muffle the sound that would surely be picked up by Toph otherwise. The light from the moon fell in through the open doorway, and across the worn covers of the bed, where he threw himself with a sigh.

He didn't get his daily dose of 'guy talk' and so now he couldn't sleep. The scent of cinnamon and firewood surrounded him, and he closed his eyes, breathing it in deep. He hadn't been lying when he had told Toph that Zuko's bed was comfortable, even if it wasn't the comfiest in the whole temple. Something about the lumpy ferretgoose down reminded him of Gran-Gran, reminded him of home.

But it was also where he and Zuko had spent hours, talking about everything and nothing, and that was pretty comfortable too.

In the back of his mind he knew that he needed to go back to his own bedroll before he fell asleep, but he was just too relaxed, and tired now despite still not getting the pointless conversations he so desperately desired. Maybe he could just lie there a little bit longer...

He couldn't implement his plan until tomorrow anyway.

* * *

**AN: **chapter fin. And it took forever (nearly a month). I apologize again. Writer's block really sucks.

There were 7,751 words.

Next chapter we'll get to see what Sokka has planned for Toph and Zuko and Aang get to see the Sun Warrior's Temple-place.

See you then!


	10. Ch 9: Embers of the Earth

**CORRECTED**

Ya

Who would've guessed that Franz Ferdinand's "No you girls" would be the perfect song to motivate a Sokka POV...

Zuko's totally some emo-tastic song.. take "Shadow of the Day" by Linkin Park for example. Kinda fitting, eh?

…

Then what's Toph's?

…

There's no excuse for the wait, besides saying that life sometimes gets in the way.

* * *

He didn't know what woke him up.

The back half of the cave where they had spent the night was still mostly dark – the weak orange glow of an early winter's sun not having risen enough to encroach fully upon the darkness – and he couldn't imagine that the faint light would be enough to wake him. No, thick and velvety shadows still crept languidly around Appa's bulky form like spiderwebs, and he wouldn't have even thought it was morning if not for the pinkish hue the shiny and clean strands of fur gave off, and the low yawn that bubbled up from below, like a sea serpent sliding up from the deep.

Muggy early-morning air weighed down against him, and he didn't fight against the lull of sleep on his heavy eyelids. Warm fur surrounded his back and sides like a nest. He'd sleep for just a few more minutes...

Then there was that sound again, so quiet he hadn't even noticed it the first time, when it had roused him from slumber.

Groggy gray eyes fluttered open slowly, and he wanted to be annoyed at whatever was keeping him up, but he was also eternally curious – why bother wasting time being angry at something when you could be finding out what exactly it was? So, with one last disappointed pat on the area of fur closest to him (probably around mid-thigh), he slowly pulled himself out of the warm cocoon.

He toed his way toward the ivy-veiled opening of the cave. Small animals and insects were known to live in caves sometimes, and even with the dim light to guide his way, he didn't want to accidentally step on one and hurt it. Another one of those sounds issued from outside the cave. It might have been the early hour's fog still swirling within his mind, but he couldn't place what the noise could be coming from. Something told him, however, that it was some sort of creature in pain, and his heart told him to try to help. His body seemed to move on its own, and his head wasn't in the state of mind to argue with it.

The long chains of ivy parted like a river under his hand. As he stood in the opening, body and mind still heavy with the peace only the start of a new day can bring, he felt that he could fully understand something Monk Gyatsu had always told him as a child. '_Believe that the sun has risen, not because you can see it, but because by it, you see everything else_.'

The sun hung low and huge, rich red with the blood of the earth below its unseen feet. Aang didn't know if the sun had a spirit like the moon, but if it did, he could picture Buddha in the glowing orb. Fat with warmth, life, yet still so far away, like the gods. Black, cotton-like clouds were strewn across the horizon, the bottoms lit with the same glowing blood, as though they were dipped in the very paint of the sun's belly. Silhouettes of the scattered ruins stood sentinel against the backdrop of the new day. The monks had always taught reincarnation and the gods as existential beings – something vague and yet all-powerful – but if Aang had believed in Creation, this was what he would have imagined it would look like.

Like the Phoenix, life springing from the embers of the Earth.

His eyes eventually found Zuko much with the same sad finality as a soldier discovering that the man next to him had died.

The older teen was huddled against a large stone outcropping, one arm hugging a knee to his chest, while the other leg lay stretched out before him. The back of his wrist pressed furiously against his closed mouth. His thin shoulders quivered with each shaky inhale. A drop of something red slid down the point of his chin to drop amongst many others on the morning-damp soil.

Zuko hadn't noticed him, which was probably a blessing considering the other boy's volatile temper, and Aang knew personally just how much the ex-prince hated feeling vulnerable. Still, everything inside Aang's heart screamed at him to do something, to help, because surely there was _something _he could do besides just standing off to the side, watching his newest friend suffer...

Slowly, he began to approach the boy – subconsciously crouching some to appear smaller, like one would do when approaching a wild animal – and he got within an arm's distance before Zuko realized he was there.

"_Don't touch me_," he hissed, jerking his shoulder away from Aang's outstretched hand. Jerkily, he attempted to rise to his feet, bracing himself against the rock before him. A smeared red handprint was left behind as he pulled his hand away.

Aang hovered at Zuko's side, unable to tear his eyes away from the dark smudge left on the rock's surface. Rationally, he knew that the crimson had to come from _somewhere_, but his mind was on some sort of loop; all he could think was that something was wrong and no, Zuko had to be okay because they were going to check out the Sun Warriors' Temple today and he was a firebender and tough and _no no_ _no no no..._

The other boy stood shaky but even, glancing out towards the slowly rising sun, and brushed away a line of red dripping from the corner of his mouth with the edge of his tatty sleeve. Overhead, a crow preened its feathers in the new dawn light.

"A–Are you—," Aang whispered, voice caught on the edges of denial and horror. He cleared his throat nervously. "Are you al—"

"I'm fine. Stop staring." He didn't look it, but Aang couldn't bring himself to argue with the bedraggled prince. Instead, he glanced out as well, toward the horizon that had just looked like Creation. Now, seeing the same dark red splattered in fat drops across the ground, he figured it looked more like The Fall.

Were it anyone else, he would've argued; his main element might've been air, the element of peace, but he could be very hard-headed when he wanted to be. Like when someone was sick or hurt. Like now. Except this was the Fire Nation's Prince, and the older teen swallowed sympathy and pity about as well as insults and degradation. It didn't matter if Aang could help him or not – Zuko simply wouldn't let him.

So he stayed, lingering at the older teen's side like a moth while Zuko brushed the dirt from the knees of his pants (where he been kneeling, shaking) and smoothed down the downy hair that stuck up in the back like he had just woken up. Or pulled on it in tearful frustration.

And as they silently picked up what was left of their camp, Aang tried to squash down the feeling that something just wasn't right.

* * *

Something just wasn't right.

A hand tentatively wandered out from under the covers, up to tug on a tangled tuft of dark brown hair.

_Well, that's a relief. Toph's a scary person..._

Shaking the last remnants of the dream out of his mind, Sokka sat up slowly, letting the silk sheets pool around his waist. He fisted the cool material in his hand, fine fibers crinkling beneath his grip.

_Did I really fall asleep in here?_

Long, tan legs swung over the side of the narrow bed, coming to rest lightly on the cold stone floor. With Zuko still gone, the room lost that carefree warmth and became what it really was – four walls, a room originally intended as a prison to house the newest member of their _gaang_. Or, at least that's what Katara had deemed it.

But it was a new day, and the sun was slowly creeping up through the crack under the doorway, lighting up a sliver of the room in place of the many candles Zuko usually kept lit whenever the tanned boy visited. Everything was silent.

_So why am I awake?? Damn Zuko and his annoying habits, rubbing off on me..._

He finally got to his feet with a wide yawn some time later (after inadvertently falling back asleep) , allowing his shirt to slide up his abdomen as he stretched his arms. Normally, Katara had quick retort about 'decency' or 'modesty' ready, but this was their – or in this case, _his_ – den of solitude; a _man-cave_, if you will. Silly womanish ideals of right and wrong meant little here.

"_Meat-head_! Where _are _you?!"

Apparently the rest of the world didn't get the memo.

Sokka contemplated hiding for a moment, before giving into defeat and plopping indignantly back onto the squishy mattress. The pint-sized earthbender could seek out his heartbeat like a hungry mongooselion, and he hoped she wouldn't devour him as brutally if he made the hunt as simple as possible.

The door flew open with a loud bang and plume of unsettled dust, and for a moment, Sokka wished he had hid anyway.

Toph stalked over to where he lay, half sprawled against the bed while his back rested firmly against the stone wall for support. Her head was down-cast, and fists shaking slightly. He didn't know what he did to piss her off that badly, but the images of his earlier dream came scampering back with a vengeance.

_Please, don't yank out all my hair...!_

Suddenly, she tilted her head back, letting out a cackling laugh that startled him back against the wall even further. "Oh man, I can't believe you actually _slept _in here! You should see your face right now," her giggling tapered off as she leaned one arm against the wall beside the narrow bed, "_completely hot_, like... like a volcano!"

"I'm not embarrassed," he denied loudly, feeling his face heat up despite his claim. "And it wasn't like I _meant_ to fall asleep in here... like I said, this is the comfiest bed. Maybe I should switch it out with mine while Zuko's gone or something..."

The shorter girl wasn't biting.

"You keep pulling these crap excuses with me and a comfy bed will be the _least_ of your worries." A chunk of the wall came away with her hand, and she tossed the now round hunk of stone between her two hands like a ball. A _heavy_ ball. One that would hurt a _lot_ on contact with someone's head.

Sokka did not want that ball to make contact with _his_.

"Look," the girl-cum-executioner sighed, letting the stone menace drop into the ground seamlessly, "I don't know what your deal is with Sparky, but you need to figure it the hell out. Did you know the reason he didn't wake you when they were leaving is because he didn't think you'd want to _have_ to get up early for him. He figured you wouldn't care either way." He gaped, open-mouthed at the girl who was glaring somewhere over his left shoulder. "_Obviously_ you did, but that leaves the question – why didn't he think you would?"

Sokka sat silently, unsure of what the younger girl expected him to say. It was obvious she expected _something_, but he knew from experience that whether _he_ knew what it was or not, she'd tell him regardless.

"Oh?" she asked sarcastically, cupping a hand mockingly around her ear and leaning in what she assumed was his direction. She was off by about fifteen degrees, but it didn't lessen the impact any – she didn't need to be able to see him to brutalize him with her element. "Haven't you two talked about whatever it is that's going on between you?"

"_Toph_!" he hissed, mortified. What did a thirteen year old know about lust?? "There's nothing going on – and even if there _was_, which there _isn't_! - it wouldn't be any of your business."

Even as her eyes remained blank, her grin took on a wicked curve that sunk to the bottom of his stomach like a cold weight. "Here I thought you two might've had a fight... but I'm starting to think something else is going on..." stone shackles encircled his chest to the wall, and he suddenly felt like a convict about to face the firing squad. "So what is it that Nuts-for-brains isn't saying?"

One floor down, a series of muffled cursing sounded, and Sokka was surprised at the type of words his sister was capable of using when she didn't think anyone was listening. She always seemed so much for the better good, but then again – she always did have quite a temper.

"_Sokka_!" her voice demanded, sounding like a chorus of angels to the boy with the annoyed earthbender leering over him.

"Should probably let me go," he suggested hopefully, trying to sound more convincing than he could probably pull off; his arms were going numb under the cold stone, and with his psuedo-rescuer gone on a crazy firebending trip for an undetermined amount of time, he didn't like where this was going. "We don't want to make Katara mad, after all."

Toph snorted, squeezing him sharply with a clench of her hand before allowing the restraints to fall to the bed in crumbly pieces that would be poking Zuko in his sleep for weeks before he would be able to get them out of the sheets. "You don't want to make _me_ mad," she corrected, waltzing on over to Zuko's bag, that leaned inconspicuously against the far wall. "_I'm_ not afraid to fight dirty."

He tried, really, but he just couldn't let the opportunity go. "Dirty... get it? Because you can bend _dirt_?!" He slapped his leg with a laughing snort. "You're a riot, really."

"And you're an idiot. Congrats."

She seemed to have found whatever she was looking for, and walked out with a small jar, muttering something about being prepared.

"_Sokka_!" Katara screamed again, sounding more aggravated than she had the first time.

The two girls were always lording their ability to bend over him. While Aang seemed to view his bending as a ball-and-chain and Zuko only seemed to use his whenever they were fighting, neither girl had any problems pointing out the benefits of their element.

Sometimes it really got on his nerves.

With the obligatory groan of having to do whatever his younger sister wanted, Sokka pushed himself off the bed, trotting down the hall and the stairs beyond with only the thought of the Katara-imposed starvation that would incur should he not obey her.

"Since our resident firebender is out probably betraying Aang's location to the Fire Nation..." the mushroom bruised slightly as Katara's grip tightened around its stalk. "Make a fire for us, 'k Sokka?"

"Sure, no problem." Sokka lumbered his way over to the fire pit in the center of the room, ignoring Toph, who perched herself on one of the benches with a sack of berries and a wicked grin on her face. The little jar from earlier sat on the bench beside her. "What's that stuff for, anyway?"

"It's glue so I can finally shut your mouth," she taunted sarcastically, placing Froggy in her lap when the badgerfrog leapt up to watch the show as well. With Zuko gone, the animal had followed the girl around all morning. Normally it would've been playing with Momo, but the flying lemur had been moderately depressed since Aang left on Appa the day before.

In the next ten minutes, Sokka learned three things. One- having a firebender handy to bend your fires for you was a godsend, and two- when you finally managed to catch a spark after countless tries, it's best to _not_ keep holding the stick that's on fire.

Third- Zuko was useful for more than just fire_bending_, even if he wasn't in the room at the time.

"Knew we'd need this," Toph commented cheerfully, screwing the lid back on the jar of burn cream after Sokka slathered it generously on the small pink mark at the end of his finger. "But I was kinda hoping for more _fwoom_ and less _ffffsht_." Her arms swung out widely with her imitation of what could've been a much more disastrous fiery event, coming back in to show the pathetic sizzle his fire had been in actuality.

"I got the fire _going_, didn't I? That's more than you two can say," he grumbled, wrapping a small white strip of cotton around the 'wound' to keep it clean until it managed to heal all the way.

His sister just snorted, too busy with cutting up the ingredients for their breakfast to bother voicing what she thought of his 'talent', but Toph scowled, leaning back against the chair she had earthbended.

"Oh yeah, look at me. I'm Sokka the macho he-man super warrior. I rub two sticks to make _fiiiire_. Ooh, grunt."

"You're just jealous of my _skill_." Punctuated with a flex of his growing arm muscles, he almost looked intimidating.

But only almost.

Katara set down the large cooking knife with a huff, turning towards her brother with her hands on her hips. "Okay, hardhead, thanks for the fire, but I think we've got it under control now. Just go... somewhere where your _unique_ skills will be more handy." And with that she shooed him out of the room with a hand towel.

_It's not right_, he thought to himself as he wandered back up the stairs to Zuko's room, _that they've got the power to move rocks or swish water around, and think it makes them any better than the rest of us_. Aang could airbend. Zuko could firebend. Hell, even Momo could fly, which was practically airbending. _Okay, better than **me**. Still... it'd be nice to cut them down to size – show them that it's the brains that really get the job done..._

An idea began forming, and the day was beginning to look a little brighter.

It'd be nice to get revenge, even if it was only on that annoying brat, Toph.

* * *

Maybe this was just the God's revenge on him.

It wasn't as if he didn't deserve it, what with all the villages he had burnt down, homes destroyed, lives torn apart in his quest. He was capturing the Avatar – the bridge between the world of the Gods and humans, their own little messenger. Of course they'd be furious. He'd seen people killed for less, just in the military, and this was the _Gods _he was talking about. Still, if the Gods were punishing him, he couldn't see why they wouldn't just smite him and get it over with.

This form of death was really starting to get annoying.

He took another lurching step down the steep and grassy hillside, trying to follow the rocky trail that was almost indistinguishable between his blurry-at-the-edges vision and the thousand-odd years of overgrowth. It wasn't much, but the slight weight of the pack on his back kept threatening to topple him over. Twice now Aang had had to fling out an arm to catch him, lest he tumble all the way down the path to the ruins down below.

And that was a _long _way to fall.

The view from the trail wasn't bad, though. The Sun Warriors' Temple, they had discovered, was surrounded by heavily-forested mountains, leading down to the golden metropolis in the center. Fluffy cumulus clouds dotted the sky here and there, and provided decent shade in bursts along the narrow trail, yet still managing to effectively catch the whole of the ruins in the sun's gleaming rays. The stone used to build up the temple and its surrounding area were all of a faint gold color, and in the bright sun it reminded Zuko of a story Uncle had told him as a child – of a hidden city made entirely of gold, alive with dragons and wearing primitive clothing that had both disturbed and amused the young boy.

Even with the sun hidden (at this point in the windy trail) behind a cloud shaped remotely like a rabbit, the humidity was intense. In front of him, Aang tugged fruitlessly at the front of his flowing orange monk shirt, where a darker stain was growing larger by the hour. Zuko, too felt the annoyance at the sweltering heat, the prickle of hot sweat sliding down around the back of his knees under the form-fitting Fire Nation boots, but he did his best to ignore it, as he had been taught was the princely thing to do.

But then a drop of sweat fell from his limp bangs onto his cheek, and he brushed it away with a frustrated groan. He liked how his hair could hide his scar well enough in a crowd, but at least he had never had to deal with sweaty bangs with his old traditional Fire Nation hairstyle. He did have to watch out for sunburns though...

He glanced down to Aang, who was steadily making his way down the trail in front of him, bald head turning a slight pink under the burning sun. Ouch. No, he definitely didn't miss that...

"So remind me again why we couldn't just take your flying beast down to the temple?"

Aang glanced back, slowing down to catch his words, but continued to keep walking, somehow not tripping over the scraggly roots that were such a nuisance to Zuko. "Appa's got a lot of fur," he explained apologetically, pausing to wipe at his forehead with an errant hand, "and it's too hot out here for him. Besides, he flew us all the way here yesterday, so I think he deserves the break."

Zuko nodded, not having the energy to bother vocalizing his assent. Personally, he thought the animal had had more than enough hours of rest, but since the idea hadn't come to him until just now, he was forced to admit that it would take more effort to climb back up the trail just to get to where the beast lay. They were already over halfway down as it was...

The rest of the hike was just about as thrilling, and besides the occasional slip down a few feet whenever one of their legs missed a step, or had to haul their procession for a minute to untangle some article of clothing from the brambles, Zuko couldn't describe it as anything more than "exhausting." As he crumpled against the crumbling stone steps of a monolithic temple – which had been dwarfed by the larger of the buildings from the top of the hillside – he almost suggested they stop for a while to sleep, eat, Aang practice earthbending, _anything _that wouldn't require Zuko move or even sit up from where his back was sprawled awkwardly across three low and flat steps in the shade.

Yes, it was rather uncomfortable.

No, he did _not _want to get _up _to try to find a more comfortable position. His legs were minutes from falling off already, and he'd very much like to keep them attached, thank you very much.

But then Aang just _had _to give him the look – that innocent, wide-eyed expression that, despite it's resemblance to a newborn koalacalf Zuko had never liked – and press his cool palm gently against Zuko's flushed forehead. Zuko feebly attempted to swat the offending limb away, but the other boy was insistent, brushing away the aggravated groans as easily as the halfhearted hands. Eventually Zuko had no choice but to allow the younger teen to do whatever he wanted to, or face the wrath of the boy whom Zuko was finding had a mothering streak to rival Katara's (towards the rest of the Gaang, of course). He knew he'd feel hot – hell, he was a _fire_bender, for Agni's sake – and snorted knowingly when the shorter boy let his hand drop from his forehead with a frown.

"How are you _cold _in this heat?"

_Wait, back up a second... what?_

The feather-light touch to his pale arm dragged his crawling mind back into the situation, and he followed Aang's stormy eyes to the little bumps that covered nearly every inch of visible skin. A shiver rolled down his spine that, despite his best efforts, still sent little twitches along the exposed skin of his forearms. _Have I been cold this whole time? How hadn't I noticed? _He gave his head a shake to clear away the fog that had settled with the slight break, and pulled his arms away from the airbender's light grip. While he wanted the Avatar to trust him, he still couldn't say honestly that he completely trusted the younger boy with all of himself. He didn't care if that made him a hypocrite.

"It's just the clouds tricking my body into thinking it's colder than it is," he explained away the beavergoose-pimples, confident that with Aang's lack of proper knowledge about firebending, he wouldn't know enough to be able to call him on his lie. It was true that in places like the Poles – where the sun was constantly hidden amongst the white abyss of the sky – firebenders could become misaligned with their element and suddenly believe it to be night or much colder than it actually was. But he could still see the sun, albeit only its outline through the sheer veil of cotton-fluff clouds. These sorts of problems really shouldn't have been happening. With one last deep breath, Zuko hauled himself to his feet, disguising the wave of vertigo with sun-squinted eyes, and turned back to the concerned boy. "We've wasted enough time lying around. You're up for continuing on now, right?" _Because of course __**Aang**__ was the reason for our wait..._

"Ready when you are, Sifu Hotman!"

Zuko snorted at the annoying nickname that had just _stuck_, but followed Aang's barely-there skipping steps around the edge of the stone behemoth. Every few bricks, one would stick out maybe an inch further than the rest, and he let his fingers slide through the powdery-thick dust and dirt that had accumulated over the last thousand or so years of disuse. Granted, he doubted that the outside of the Fire Nation palace looked much better, but maybe, with Azula as future heir to the throne...

Azula always had run a tight ship. The palace wouldn't have a speck of dust after the first hour; their mother's garden would be the first to go. She would see to the deaths of the turtle-ducks personally.

Overhead, the clouds crept further over the noonday sun.

The courtyard beyond was lavish and luscious. A sparkling fountain rose up in the shape of a crackling flame, remarkably well-preserved considering the time it had sat untouched. Clear water gushed up from each of the red-painted tips, and the flowing water gave the illusion that the flame itself was flickering behind the safety of it's opposite element. Before it sat a wide pool, sunk low in the ground and ensconced in a flat ledge of red and orange tile in triangular patterns. A row of tall palms lined either side of the courtyard.

While Aang had yelled happily, discarded his outer clothes with the disregard of a small child, and leapt headfirst into the pool, Zuko wandered the perimeter, ever on edge. The younger boy could think he was paranoid if he felt like it, but the old bruises along his side and chest were fading from a pale green to a sick yellow, and Zuko didn't want to experience those anxious gray eyes on him again that day. Besides, there was a lot someone could learn from their environment, as Uncle had always told him.

Not that he had ever listened before.

White nestled amongst overgrown ferns and ivy caught his eye, and as he brushed aside a wide palm frond to get a better look, he surprised himself when he could actually name the flower. White jasmine. Delicate, aromatic, and made the best tea – when strained correctly. Tucking a few flowers into a pouch in their bag, he froze. _No way_, he denied, _I am __**not **__turning into Uncle._

He made to empty out the pouch, but paused as the flowers tipped precariously towards the dry ground.

_What's done is done. They won't grow if I dump them out... and Katara **might **not murder me in my sleep if I come back bearing a peace offering..._

"Hey Zuko," the other boy cheered from the pool, somewhere behind him, "there's koi in here! How do you think they get their food?"

Zuko turned back toward the pool, noticing for the first time that there were indeed three large red and orange fish occupying the shallow depths. They were almost indistinguishable from the tile koi decorating the floor of the pool, and he wouldn't have seen them if they weren't swimming around in agitation from the airbender in their home. He frowned, trying to recall what Uncle had told him about koi. "Fish are pretty self-reliant. They'll eat any bug that lands on the water. I thought they weren't brought to the Fire Nation until about four hundred years ago, though... apparently some traders thought they'd catch a high price if sold to the palace. We had a few imported from the water tribe for our pond when I was young." One with a large yellow spot on its back flicked its tail, splashing some water in Aang's direction. "What do you think they're doing here?"

Aang shrugged, shoulders rising briefly out of the water where he was crouching before sinking back beneath the surface. He created and rode a small waterbended wave over to where Zuko sat on the tiled edges, feet dipped ankle-deep in the crisp cool water. The chill still permeated his arms and around his neck, but it felt good to kick off his boots and rest sore feet. With the slightest wave of the hand, the airbender-turned-waterbender sent the wave crashing against the side of the pool, leaping up to sit next to the firebender (who hadn't appreciated being splashed across the legs by the unexpected wave).

"Could someone have brought them here recently? I mean, a lot of these plants look kinda new, like they weren't planted that long ago." Zuko's eyes followed Aang's sweeping arm, noting that the younger boy was more observant than he looked. The dirt around several of the small palms was darker than the rest, as though it hadn't been dried out by the hot Fire Nation sun like the others.

But why would there be freshly planted plants and imported koi fish in a supposedly abandoned land?

* * *

"Aang may have abandoned you to go check out some stupid firebender place with Zuko, but I haven't given up on you, buddy."

Momo peered up at Sokka blankly, holding the nut he had given him between both clawed little hands.

"Now, all you have to do, is wait for the signal, then do what we've been practicing, okay?"

This time the little creature tilted his head to the side, and Sokka figured that that was the best answer he'd receive from the flying lemur. Quite frankly, he was surprised that it had listened so well thus far. Usually once the nuts ran out, Momo ran out too.

Footsteps plodded down the hall, and Sokka knew Toph had to be looking for him; he hadn't seen her go into the all day echo chamber yet, and the only reason she would is if it were to look for him.

'Looking' being the general term in the equation.

"Okay, Momo," he whispered, creeping over to the hole-covered side of the room, motioning for Momo to do the same with the holes around the doorway entrance, "Now's the moment of truth. She thinks she's better than us, so here's our chance to prove her wrong. Be stealthy like a ninja, buddy."

The door flew open with a loud bang, and Sokka was proud of his furry little friend for not making any noise at the outburst. Toph stood in the doorway, hand on her hip and had an eyebrow raised suspiciously.

"You're not in Princess' room for once – surprise..."

"Well," he said airily, running his hand along the inside edge of the nearest hole nervously, "I guess I'm just full of surprises, aren't I?"

From behind Toph, Momo peeked his head out of the hole, the end of the skinny rope clutched tightly in his teeth. The animal looked to Sokka for confirmation.

"_Now_!" he hissed, throwing his arms up in the air in what Momo was vigorously trained as 'the signal'.

"Whaa_a__–__umph_!"

Momo had done exactly what he had been trained to do – fly out of the hole with the rope in his mouth, fly in circles around and between Toph's legs, then fly towards Sokka to pull the rope tight. Toph, for her part, did exactly what Sokka had expected of her.

Unfortunately, he hadn't expected that she'd be able to free herself from the tangling rope so quickly.

"Uh..." Sokka could only watch helplessly as Toph pushed herself to her feet, blank eyes glaring holes and the rope fraying in her tight grip. "Well, you see..."

The infuriated girl stomped once, and every escape route he had planned on using closed up in an instant.

_Oh shit...

* * *

_

The pool had been fun, and he had enjoyed seeing the koi fish (too bad they weren't big enough to ride yet), but Aang supposed that he liked exploring the long-abandoned Sun Warrior ruins almost as much.

It seemed weird though, that so much of the place seemed to work like new, given that it hadn't been occupied since _long _before he had frozen himself a hundred years ago. He remembered the way cobwebs had hung from every corner of the Air Temples they had visited. Shouldn't there be any more here?

Whatever battle had been raging between the sun and the sky seemed to have passed – f_inally_ – and lit up the underside of the path-lining and covered willows like hundreds of tiny green paper lanterns. Soft sunlight crept between the leaves to cast lacy patterns across the old cobble-stoned trail from the open courtyard to the main temple. Zuko had suggested they try there first, seeing as it was the main place of worship (or housing, or bingo hall), and he hadn't had any reason to disagree. Big buildings usually weren't built without a purpose in mind, but they could only hope that that purpose had something to do with the original art of firebending. But they learned from _dragons_, so Aang was pretty confident that they'd find _something _that survived the Sun Warrior's extinction.

Everything _else _had.

Before them, the pathway opened up to the giant front sloping side of the Warrior's main temple. Ivy trailed partway up both sides, with a sprinkling of tiny purple flowers that caught the light and cast violet auras here and there on the golden brick. Aang spun around, a comment regarding evil firebenders and pretty flowers on his lips, but let it die when his eyes caught the heavy way his partner was breathing. Zuko's face was scrunched up in a slight grimace of pain, and the heel of his palm dropped from where it had pressed against the center of his chest. The older boy didn't seem to notice his audience, and Aang didn't want to make things awkward again – like that morning – so he turned back around, walking the distance to the temple's front doors silently.

His excitement shot back up upon reaching them.

Two intricately carved dragons entwined themselves up the length of the marble slab, an amber egg held snug protectively between the two bodies. It appeared to have mostly survived the years of disuse, however, one imperfection stood out starkly amongst all the beauty. A huge crack slid between the two dragon's heads. Scratches littered the area, and it almost looked like...

"Someone tried to force their way in. "Aang looked up into the tired gold eyes of the firebender, whom he had almost forgotten was there. The taller boy's fist clenched. "That would explain the new additions to the courtyard. But why go to all the trouble...?"

Zuko pulled out his twin dao blades, and with a certain reservation, plunged them into the crack and pulled apart. Whether he was expecting it to open or not, the cracked slabs remained firmly closed.

"Obviously they didn't get in, then," he sighed thankfully, wiping away the sweat from his brow with the back of his hand. "So how does it...?" The older boy suddenly spun around, throwing up a hand to shield his eyes from the sun, and just _looked_.

Aang copied him.

"Uh... Zuko? What is it we're looking _for_?"

Either the older boy didn't hear him, or just ignored him, but he seemed to have found whatever he was looking for and dashed over to where another amber egg rested high on a narrow pedestal. "It's a celestial calendar!" he explained excitedly. "On a certain day of the year, the sun will line up with both of the markers and the door will open."

Suddenly, Aang realized that the ground they were standing on wasn't just brick, and leapt off a large tile depiction of a moon half-waned. There was a whole circle of them, representing the moon's cycle, and before both markers was a picture of the sun. Zuko seemed to come to the same conclusion, judging from the way his shoulders slumped.

"But the solstice is a month away! We can't wait that long... that's when the comet comes! If I can't learn firebending before then we're doomed!"

But Zuko didn't seem to be paying much attention to Aang's fears, and was looking out distractedly towards the tall pole. A hearty beam of sun shone through the stone to fall onto the ground in a sharp white circle off to their left, catching off Zuko's twin blades as well. A predatory look came into his golden eyes. "Maybe we can trick the markers..."

The older teen moved swiftly, angling the steel so that the reflected light shone directly into the matching stone held between the two dragon's bodies. The effect was immediate.

Both doors slid apart with a hiss of stale air, sounding like dragons themselves. Some sort of ancient engineering – that Sokka would've gladly spent hours investigating – caught on the door's heavy stone, creating a spark that set fire to a small lantern just beside the door. A chain reaction had twelve identical lanterns lit evenly around the circular room, one far behind each looming statue of old men in martial arts stances. Aang leaped away from one particularly creepy looking man, whose stone eyes seemed to follow him in the flickering light.

"Uh... Do you think we can ...skip this part of the temple?" he asked weakly, twisting forward and backward to try to keep all the marble eyes in his line of sight at once. There was no way he wanted one of those things behind him..." I'm sure creepy statues don't have anything to do with the ancient form of firebending..."

The older teen was nonplussed, walking through the sunlight streaming in through the ceiling's vent and getting right up close to inspect the detailed etching of the furrowed bushy eyebrows on the statue directly across the doorway. "We won't know unless we look... although right now I'm not sure what it is we're looking _for_..."

Aang took a grudging step to follow Zuko across the room, and froze.

_Tile doesn't usually shift under your feet, right?_

Tentatively, he lifted his foot, feeling the tile rise upward again with the decrease in weight. He glanced up again to the statue before him – standing on one foot, arms raised toward the sun – and mimicked what he saw. The tile sunk again.

_Wait a minute... is this a...?_

"Zuko!" Zuko turned in time to have his arm grabbed by the excited airbender. "Come dance with me!"

"What? No!"

Aang reached for his arm again, frowning when the older boy took several steps back, away from him. "Just do it, okay?"

Whatever Zuko saw in his eyes was obviously worth the embarrassment, for moments later they were standing together in front of the statue before the closed door. "_When did we close those doors?" _Aang discarded the thought immediately. _It must've been Zuko_.

They followed each step by the statues, each going in opposite directions around the room. Each step sunk two tiles, _just as I thought_... The last step brought them both together again at the back of the room, knuckles lightly touching as their bodies leaned inward.

Aang smiled. "See? Was it really that—"

A low rumbling filled the chamber, nearly knocking both boys off their feet. In the center, a column raised itself; as thick around as a tree and its surface laced with interwoven carved dragons. A large golden egg sat on top, held aloft by three crouching gold dragons, razor sharp tails pointed menacingly outward. Zuko was reaching out towards it.

"Uh, Zuko? I don't think you should–"

"What?" the older teen interrupted, fingers still poised to pluck the golden egg from the safety of the dragons' clutches. "It's not like they're gonna come alive and attack me_eeeeeEE_!"

The second the egg left the dragons' claws, a jet stream of powerful black sludge spewed out – straight into Zuko's chest – and threw him up high in the air, where he collided with the metal grated ceiling with a bang. Aang leapt up onto the nearest statue's outstretched arms, using it as high ground away from the vicious blackness that was quickly filling up the chamber floor and rising. Zuko appeared to still be stuck to the ceiling, so with a mighty wave of his staff, he flung air towards Zuko as hard as he could, trying to dislodge him. The taller boy was flipped over with a yell, but was still otherwise stuck.

Aang didn't have much time to worry about the other teen though, because the sludge was already flowing up to his toes, and if he didn't get up higher, he would be history! With the help of his airbending, he leapt up to the grate with Zuko, whose face luckily fit comfortably between the wide bars of the grate. He tried to climb over (or would it be _under_?) Zuko to the other side of the vent, hoping to find a latch or some way to open it, but found that he was stuck himself.

The sludge was still rising.

He could feel the gooey cold wetness press up against his back, draining around him, up towards the grate where they feverishly pressed their faces, praying for that last gulp of air.

Suddenly, the sludge stopped coming, and both boys were left gasping and sighing in relief.

Aang allowed himself a moment to catch his breath, before turning – figuratively, as he was currently stuck pressed up against the grate like his partner – to Zuko with as harsh a glare as he could muster. "You just _had _to touch the egg, _didn't you?_"

He couldn't see the cringe he knew would be on the other boy's face, but he could hear the immediate self-incrimination in his voice. "I didn't think it'd do _this!_ But I didn't really _think_ at all, did I?" A hysterical edge crept into the normally cool and calm voice, and Aang wished he could turn his head to see the look in the other boy's eyes. "What if you would've gotten hurt? What would've happened to the world then?!"

_The world...?_

"That's all that matters to you, isn't it?" Aang knew he was starting to sound irrational himself, but he couldn't help it. It'd been a long, rough day, and he was only thirteen years old, after all. That'd be excuse enough for anyone, _even _the Avatar. "You don't care about what happens to _me_, just what happens to the _Avatar_."

"_Aang..._" Zuko interrupted gently, but Aang wasn't having none of it.

"You're just like everyone else! You all want me to save the world for you – but what happens if I _can't_? What if I'm not strong enough to take on everyone? Will everyone just hate me again?" Tears were clouding his eyes and clogging his throat, but what bothered him the most was that in the hiccupping silence after his tearful breakdown, Zuko hadn't denied anything he had said.

* * *

_'I wonder what Aang and Zuko are doing right now... Probably something really cool, and super fun like exploring old stuff and making fire...'_

Sokka sighed, stretching out his toes a bit further.

_'Come on... just a bit farther...'_

Even with the stretch, Sokka's toes came a good foot or so from the bowl of stew that Katara had left, laughing, before him. Sure, she thought he probably deserved it – which he _totally didn't!_ - but that didn't mean she had to be so... _mean_!

_'I mean... food. Seriously. Not cool...'_

He really wished he could move his arms though, because his side was starting to itch. There was nothing worse than an itch you couldn't scratch... unless of course you couldn't scratch it because you were once again trapped (upside down this time!) in stone by a little girl that you had _thought_ you could take.

He was pretty sure that was as bad as it could get.

Also unfortunately, his would-be rescuer was still off exploring ancient civilizations with the Avatar.

It was going to be a long night...

* * *

The weirdest thing about being rescued by a previously thought extinct race of people was that despite supposedly having been tucked away in their own little world for nearly two thousand years, they were surprisingly up-to-date on current events.

Even if that _current_ was nearly thirty years back.

Still good, all things considering.

After the nearly seven foot tall Sun Warrior Chief freed them for the most part from the vice grip of hardened black goo, the hike to the other side of the city – where their lodgings were – had been a long and awkward one. Aang had flitted ahead to walk at the Chief's side, and Zuko had allowed his tired body to slow, trailing behind a couple yards back. Large bits of rock-like _something_ had been encrusted over the majority of his arms and torso, and had been chipped away from his legs by necessity alone. It had been obvious by the older man's glare that he hadn't liked Zuko very much, but he didn't learn the full extent until they had reached the living portion of the city.

Zuko had been pushed, hard, onto the ground where he had sprawled across the dirt in the only position his rock-manacled arms had allowed. He had desperately tried to explain that he _hadn't _been trying to steal their treasure, and that he only wanted to learn how to properly firebend, but the tribal member leering over him with the large sharp machete knife hadn't cared.

"_Your people are the reason we have to hide. Your kind enslaved our once proud nation, warped the pure firebending ways, and killed off our dragons. Why should we treat you any differently?"_

But that had been hours ago, and once the Chief had grudgingly thrown the other Sun Warrior off him, the older man had proceeded to tell them how their stay would work. Aang – and only Aang – would be allowed to hold council with their _Masters _the next morning, provided that he passed some test and proved himself worthy of the ancient secret. Zuko would be kept back at the village – _for collateral_, his war-knowledgeable mind screamed – until the Avatar returned, then they could both leave, keeping the secret of this village to themselves.

Zuko let out an aggravated puff of heated air, feeling the evening's chill begin to settle into the open patio that would serve as their temporary place of lodging, at least until the Chief came back to take Aang with him to the airbender's own room. Aang sat, legs pulled up to his chest, on an open window ledge on the other side of the patio. The distance wasn't great, but the message was clear.

Deep down, Zuko was less than sympathetic to the other boy's plight. Sure, the kid dealt with the pressure of being the Avatar, but everyone had some kind of pressure up against them. He himself was the banished prince, scarred by his own father, and not allowed home until he accomplished an impossible task. Toph was _blind_, yet had to contend with more power than he had ever seen, from _anybody_. Katara had the pressure of being the last waterbender of her tribe. Sokka had to keep everyone together, and he hadn't earned the title, _Plan Guy_, for no reason.

Besides, it wasn't like there weren't upsides to being the Avatar. People were always giving the Gaang free lodgings (that he had later crashed in on). Aang could bend all four elements (while he could hardly handle his own). Not to mention the little deal with the village leader and the Masters.

But Zuko wasn't jealous.

_Well, maybe a little..._

Still, enough was enough, and how would he hear the secret of firebending if his _student_ was too angry with him to tell him?

"Aang," he croaked, voice hoarse already in the couple hours of disuse. "I know you probably don't want to talk–"

"I don't."

"–to me, but we're supposed to be friends now, remember?"

"We're not friends," Aang grumbled into his crossed arms. "The last time I asked if we could be friends, you threw a fireball at me. I should've taken the hint then."

Zuko sighed, exasperated. This just wasn't working... " I was a jerk. We both know that. But I've changed–"

"_Well I haven't_!" The stone ledge crumpled under Aang's hand, leaving finger-shaped indents in the smooth marble. "I'm still the same kid who froze himself in an iceberg to avoid having to _do _anything in the war. I can't handle all this – it's too much!"

_So that's the issue, then..._

"You're right. You _are_ the same kid." Tearful gray eyes peered up from his hiding place in his knees at the sudden change of attitude. "The same kid, but you've gone through a lot since then. Did that kid know how to earthbend?" A cautious shake of the head, no. "Could he waterbend?" And another.

"Did he have four friends that would do anything for him – fight with him, _fight for him_? Aang..." he rose to a kneel, pleading Aang to just listen to him, "I know that in the past I've been greedy – we've all been greedy – and have expected far too much from you. Yes, you're the only one with the power to bend all four elements, but there's no way that we're going to let you take on the whole Fire Nation by yourself. We got your back. And... I'd like the chance to right my past wrongs and really get to know you. The real you, not just Avatar Aang. So... friends?"

Across the room, Aang let his knees drop down until he was straddling the open window, back leaning wearily against the stone frame. He looked exhausted, but a small smile lit up his eyes.

"Friends."

"Avatar Aang," a low voice rumbled from the entryway across the open square, startling both boys. The Sun Warrior Chief stood tall, flanked on either side by two shorter girls, Aang's staff held firmly in one girl's hand, their travel bag in the other's. Something about the way the shorter girl's brown hair fell from her pony tail in long waves seemed off to Zuko, and mentally he tried to remember any other brunettes he had seen in the village, but then the man who had attacked him earlier entered the room, and the Chief was talking again, so he let it go. "Your room is ready for you now. If you'll follow me, I'll show you to it. Ham Ghao," he turned, addressing the other Sun Warrior man, "take Zuko to his room as well."

Ham Ghao sneered, stepping towards Zuko with a glint in his eye that promised more pain. The Chief grabbed his arm, however, and commanded in a no-nonsense way, "And don't hurt him. I understand you're upset, but there's no need to be _violent_."

Then they were gone, Aang walking out cheerfully with the Chief and the taller of the two girls, while Zuko was left alone with the bloodthirsty Sun Warrior and the brunette.

"'_No need to be violent_,' he says... I'll show him violent..." Ham Ghao muttered to himself, grabbing Zuko around the arm in what was probably a much weaker hold than the older man would've preferred. The girl smiled widely at him, flashing white teeth and dark eyes, before she spun around, leading the group out through the courtyard entryway and towards a circle of Sun Warriors leering over a small fire. Only a few of them had the traditional topknot Zuko had seen throughout the village, and those who did were seated on stone benches, the casual-haired men standing behind them like a royal guard.

The grip on his arm loosened as they got closer to the circle, and with a heavy hand, pushed him down onto a bench on the other side of the fire. He could see the eyes of the topknots over the flickering flame; gold and glinting, hardly restraining their anger – but at him?

_What'd I do to make everyone so angry at me?_

As if on cue, his stomach let out a low rumble, voicing its opinion on his non-existent eating schedule.

"If you would get a bowl of that soup for me please, Hammy?" Brunette-haired girl asked, giggling, batting her long eyelashes and giving a cute pout to Ham Ghao, who seemed to like the nickname as much as he liked Zuko. Whatever the deal was with them, Zuko wasn't about to ask. He knew people like her, and their kind was scary.

The man retrieved the soup regardless, scooping a large spoonful into a carved wooden bowl sitting beside the pot. He went for another, but the girl placed her hand lightly on his arm, halting him.

"I don't think he'll be able to eat even that much. This stuff tends to be more than anyone can handle."

_'Like Katara's immatation sea-sponge soup. Although I doubt the Sun Warriors have ever tasted anything as disgustingly chewy as that...'_

Ham Ghao returned grumbling, and shoved the soup into Zuko's hands forcibly. It was only because of the brunette's lightning fast hands that it didn't become a new – and very hot – pattern across the front of his shirt. He thanked the girl and was rewarded with a wide smile as she waited to see his reaction to the soup.

Zuko ran the spoon through the strange green liquid for a moment, feeling the way it seemed to flow away from the spoon, with a sludge-like consistency. He didn't see any chunks of anything nasty though, so with one last gulp of fresh air, took a large bite.

_This is so... not actually that bad. Surprising._

The whole thing was fairly reminiscent of a kind of broccoli soup he had eaten when he was young and sick – same smooth taste, and sadly the same molding smell. But he could understand what the girl meant by not being able to handle it. Three spoonfuls in, he was already almost full, and with that the pleasant droopy feeling of lethargy that always set in with a big meal.

"What _is_ this s-stuff?" he slurred slightly, watching their golden eyes waver through the flames. An eagle made out of the flames rose up from the fire, waving its wings, and for a moment Zuko tried to figure out who was bending it, but then it was gone again.

"Our... recipe... Secret for... years... additional..."

Ham Ghao's voice took on a wavering quality, being audible one moment, then silent the next, and Zuko fought to keep his also wavering attention on the man's mouth to try to catch everything that was being said. He never had been a good lip-reader though.

Suddenly, the world began to tip sideways, and Zuko leaned to the left to try to keep it upright. The world kept tipping though, like a ship about to capsize. He landed with a thump on his side on the ground, fingers clenching the dirt to keep from falling away. Colors spun like fire and everything was like fire, flickering and wavering, glinting then disappearing as the dark seeped into every corner, creeping along the edges of his vision. He tried to keep the brunette girl's face in his failing vision, but the colors kept sinking through the cracks like smoke. Something wasn't right though.

_Why isn't her hair braided? It'd always been braided..._

As the world went black and silent, one voice made it through the fog.

"Goodnight, Zuzu."

* * *

AN: ok, all done.


	11. Ch 10: The Serpents Nest

* * *

**Important!!!**: **I've put up a new poll on my profile that I believe will be helpful in the continuing updates of this fic. Please vote. Thank you.**

It's been... 3 months. For 5,986 words? Pathetic.

Alright then. This one took a really long time to spit out, and it's not even half of what I normally spit out, after all that. I'm sorry for the wait, and even more for the craptastic short chapter, but I figured that if I kept rewriting and rewriting until it was my customary 9000, I'd never get put out. So just keep in mind that while _this _chapter may be less-than-lovely in the standard terms, it's crucial in that a lot of stuff is happening and the next chapter will probably end up being twice as long. And twice as action-packed. Exciting, exciting!

* * *

A low rumble like the growl of a malevolent beast echoed throughout the heavy and storm-laden clouds. Crackling lightning flashed low on the horizon. Dozens of crows alighted from their perches amongst the night-darkened banyon trees as though sensing danger. Somewhere on the overgrown leafy mountain a jaguarpanda's golden eyes darted up from its fallen prey to reflect the sharp glow of the fires lit by those humans who were not meant to be there. As the connection from the world of the living to the spirit world, Aang could also sense a vague feeling of _wrongness_ that had crept in with dusk's fog, but being seated in a human form, he couldn't for the life of him figure out what had him awake in the dead hours of morning.

The smooth silken fibers of the Sun Warrior-made sheet clung to his sweaty back in large sections like a second – and more sticky – skin, and crumpled into an itchy ball around his back and sides when he moved to sit up. A fat drop of sweat slid down his forehead and narrowly avoided his half-open eye.

_The thing about the Fire Nation_, he had quickly discovered, _was that although their weather was more volatile than their tempers, the air was always hot and humid._

He shook his head vainly to try to dislodge the lightheaded feeling not enough sleep had caused and glanced out through the open stone doorway towards the fires still burning in the courtyard, despite the incredibly early hour. Three tired-looking men, swathed in armor that resembled a primitive version of the Fire Nation militia's today, stood sentinel at three of the four forners in the open area. Aang watched with sleepy interest as one of the men yawned widely before scratching himself between the thin plates of armor.

Aang shuddered, eyes flitting back to the confines of his room.

Four cream colored stone walls with a large rectangle cut out of one to form a doorway. He'd spent many a night in much worse, and despite the fact that it was nice to have a bed that wasn't bended from stone (no matter _how_ well Toph Earth-bent it), Aang still found himself missing the Western Air Temple. After so many nights spent in close quarters with Sokka and Katara, and later Toph, it was strange and a little bit unsettling to sleep alone. He had grown used to Sokka's heavy open-mouthed breathing and the light fresh smell of Katara's hair on the pillow next to his. Without these small reminders, Aang felt that he was more alone than he had ever been, like he had been when he had ran from Monk Gyatso all those years ago.

He wondered if they would be asleep at this moment, Katara and Sokka snuggled up close together in the sibling love he had always secretly envied. With their father trapped by the Fire Nation they fought, they were all they had left of the once cozy and loving family.

All Aang had was the memory of a kindhearted man that had died nearly one hundred years ago, bones turned to dust in decades long past.

Toph wouldn't let their absence faze her, he knew, and the only proof that she missed them would be in the way she cuddled up in the thick blankets she had adopted from her favorite Firebender. They were close – obscenely close for Toph – and Aang was slightly jealous of that bond too, but couldn't find it in himself to resent the firebender for the closeness that the toughest member of their group shared. Both benders came from high-class families that just couldn't understand them, and Zuko really did deserve to have a younger sister that didn't want to _really_ kill him.

Aang's thoughts wandered to Zuko, who he had blown up at earlier on that evening.

He hadn't meant to get so worked up, honestly. It had just been the culmination of the stress of having to learn firebending on top of earthbending and waterbending, the threat of world domination via Zuko's own father, and the growing unease he had felt when he had found Zuko outside their camp that morning, blood dripping from the corner of his mouth and fingers that had tried to wipe the sickness away. Aang couldn't help but be worried because of that, coupled with the ex-prince's inability to bend his natural element.

It was obvious that this – whatever it was that Zuko was fighting off to the point of blood – had been going on for quite some time. Now that he had the benefit of knowledge, he could think of several occasions where Zuko's refusal of food should've brought on more concern than it had, or the dizzy spells more worry. Aang knew without asking that Zuko hadn't told anyone of whatever was ailing him, and wasn't planning on doing so anytime soon.

At least they had parted for bed on better terms. Still, he couldn't help but feel a stab of fear at the thought of the Fire Nation teen going through another miserable morning alone.

His mind made up, Aang crept to the doorway, making sure to keep as close to the shadows possible while he bended enough air between his feet and the floor to keep his footsteps silent. There wasn't any definite reason he could think of that he shouldn't be seen leaving the room – or in conjunction, entering Zuko's – but the feeling burned in his chest regardless, and he had grown used to the idea that his gut feelings shouldn't be ignored.

The early morning watch was easy to slip by, seeing as the one was fixated on getting at the itch creeping along the inside of his thigh and the other two had their heads leaning back against the wall, eyes facing vaguely in the _up_ direction. He thought vaguely for a moment that maybe the Sun Warriors shouldn't appoint someone as a guard unless they were actually going to be _guarding_ like one would expect, but he was never someone to look a gift-ostrichhorse in the mouth.

He passed by three different open corridor styled, tree-lined archways without seeing anything that screamed _"Hey, Zuko's in here!"_

He would've settled for a whisper, even.

Still, all was not lost. The first rays of sun crept in through the gaps of the tree-covered mountains. They had been gone for two days already. How many days had Zuko told Sokka and Katara that they'd be gone for? He couldn't remember, but with the actual Sun Warriors still inhabiting the supposedly abandoned structures, Aang figured that they'd probably end up spending an extra day or two talking to the ancient tribe alone.

A low thump echoed a few archways down, followed by what sounded like a few angrily whispered words, and Aang froze in front of the archway he had been in the middle of peering down. Moments later, the light _clip-clap_ of a pair of heels whisked around the corner up ahead, and Aang was forced to duck behind a large purple clematis to avoid being seen. He caught sight of the young woman's determinedly straight back and black hair piled regally in a tight bun at the back of her head before she strode through the archway he had left only minutes earlier.

_I wonder what she's so angry about_...

When it didn't look like the other perpetrator of the argument was going to come storming his way as well, Aang left the relative safety of the archway and began wandering down the hall once again. That off-putting feeling had morphed from a tickle to a sap-like sludge of discomfort, sliding down his back at the thought of his firebending friend.

Aang sped up his pace down the narrow hallway area, using his airbending again to ensure that his footsteps would remain silent despite his urgency. If there was any one thing he could thank Monk Gyatsu for, it was the practicality in his first-learned element. Long before any of the other airbending students had progressed to forming swirls, Monk Gyatsu had him suspending himself on lofts of air, dashing about the precariously built monestary as silent and swiftly as the most graceful of long-hared gazelle. The grandfatherly old man had always sagely stated that _"the strong sabertooth mooselion may wear its enemy down with pure force, but the silent rabbitfox needs not even to unsheathe its claws._"

It didn't seem like that philosophy had done much for the race in the end, though. Silent like the moonlit shadows, Aang had nearly reached the doorway to the ex-prince's room when a heavy hand descended upon his shoulder.

"It is late in the night to be out of bed, young Avatar."

The wizened face of the Sun Warrior Chief regarded him for a moment – his wiry muscles clenched in surprise, hovering suspiciously outside a doorway far from his own with reddened cheeks from obvious embarrassment at being caught – and the hand on his shoulder clenched imperceptibly against the light cotton of his night shirt. Aang swallowed sharply against his will.

"I was just... ah, I mean—"

The hand not hooked over his shoulder raised in a placating gesture, although his tense, lowered eyebrows did nothing to settle Aang's fraying nerves. "Many creatures wander the night, and not many of them are intent on your well-being." Again that hand clenched, and it took all of Aang's willpower not to flinch away from the intimidating man. "Do you understand?"

Aang startled from his intent staring at the ground beneath his feet, finally meeting the trenchant gold eyes of the tribal leader. Intense ochre flooded his vision, and for a moment he could feel that the older man's burning anger was directed at something that encompassed much more than just the annoying airbender that had a penchant for sneaking around in the early hours of morning. His vocal chords refused to untie themselves from the knot the strong emotion had tied them in, and Aang could only nod numbly as that strong hand turned him with a certain gentleness towards the courtyard.

He took one last desperate glance toward the dark doorway where his firebending friend resided before submitting to the gentle hand and the silent promise of the morning ahead.

* * *

It was only after several cups of pungent herbal tea drunk around a warm, early morning fire that it occurred to Aang that the other person in the argument with the angry young woman must've been the Chief himself. After all, no one else was anywhere near the area, and that would have explained how the Chief was close enough to see the silent shadow of the airbender. He knew that given the circumstances, Zuko would've told him to leave it alone, but if Aang was anything he was curious, and the thought nagged on the back of his mind for several long moments before the fire before he let them come tumbling out.

"What were you and that girl arguing about? She looked really angry at you..."

The Chief paused with his hand raised to bend the fire for half a heartbeat, and gave the flames a purposeful push in height before he allowed himself to look down his nose at the young boy sitting cross-legged on the ground across from him. In the orange-pink glows from both the newly rejuvenated fire and the sun barely an hour born from the horizon, the frown lines left gray streaks across the tanned skin. "That's no business of yours."

"I was just wondering – I mean, you _are_ the Chief and—"

"She craves power," the older man admitted, hand reaching out behind him to gingerly guide him to a flat spot on the wooden logs for a seat. His knees popped with age as he sighed heavily, position found. "That's what's wrong with the world today. The young are not meant to hold any amount of power, or they hunger for more all too quickly." The Chief scrubbed his calloused palms across his squinted eyes. "She believes that she will be a better leader than her father."

"Wait," Aang interrupted, "is she your daughter?"

"No. But she does intend to take over our village."

While Aang tried to decipher how the leadership of the Sun Warrior people was passed on through the generations, the sun crept up all the higher through the morning mist, turning the ruins – which Aang was now hesitant to call _ruins_, given the fact that the ancient peoples still obviously inhabited them – to a magnificent gold. He wouldn't have been surprised if the stones themselves had gold flecks imbedded in them. The spiritual Airbender Monks had ironically done the same thing.

Just as the sun was level with the top of the tallest temple, creating a halo-like glow around the point, a long string of Sun Warriors stalked through the wide courtyard entrances. They surrounded the two sitting benders silently, arms held behind their backs and pointedly not looking either of them in the eye. The Chief sighed heavily, getting to his feet with a groan and holding out a wide hand for Aang to take.

"It is daylight. Now you can be tested to learn the true secret of firebending."

The words were meant to be ominous, that much was obvious. However, the Chief had a glint in his eye that suggested otherwise, and Aang felt the corners of his mouth twitch into a grin.

Aang obediently followed the Chief up the steep stone steps on the tallest temple, feeling vaguely like he was about to walk directly into the sun. Dug into what he had assumed was the top from the ground was a large crater, surrounded by golden stone that tapered into an archway overhead. A gigantic roaring fire sat pleasantly in the bowl, and the Chief patiently explained that the fire had been given to man from the dragons, and that the Sun Warriors had kept it going for as long as they had the gift of firebending – for thousands of years. Then the man scooped a flame from it like a rock from a pile, and moved to deposit it in the nervous airbender's hands.

"Uh, Mr. Sun Chief, sir... I'm not exactly a firebender yet..."

"There is nothing to worry about," the man tried to be patient and placating, but there was an edge to his voice that hadn't been there all morning. "You are the Avatar, are you not? But you must maintain a constant heat – not enough, and the flame will go out. Too much, and it could devour you."

Aang wasn't too afraid of giving the fire too much energy – he didn't even know _how_ he was supposed to give it energy! – but he reached forward tentatively nonetheless. The flame slid effortlessly from the Chief's hands to his own, and he smiled faintly as the warm little ball hovered over his hands. It pulsated slightly in time with his pounding heart, and he voiced this opinion mindlessly.

"It's... like a little heartbeat."

"Fire is _life_," the Chief agreed, chastising him almost," not just destruction." He turned slightly to point wearily towards the top of a nearby mountain, split directly down the middle in what appeared to be a gigantic earthquake, or maybe earthbender attack. "That's where you will take your flame. The cave of the Masters is underneath that rock. I will meet you up there."

The Sun Warrior peoples filed down the steps after their Chief, and Aang was left gaping at the spot they had previously vacated. They expected him to be able to get all the way up the mountain on his own? _While trying to maintain some really old fire??_ He judged the distance mentally in his head, and groaned at the prospect of having to walk that distance with the deadliest element clasped between his shaking hands. Normally the distance wouldn't be a problem – hundreds of meters could be crossed in the space of a second on his glider – but his glider needed both hands to be operational, and he didn't want to risk catching his trusty glider on fire, thousands of years old or not. Still, there was no time like the present, and so he too began following the procession down the temple steps.

At the bottom he turned away from the group, heading towards the towering peaks. No one had specifically mentioned a time restraint, but that didn't mean there _wasn't_ one, and there was no way he was going to miss learning the secret of firebending because he was slow. Still, after nearly an hour's time and only half way up the mossy mountain, he was forced to admit that maybe he was being a bit too cautious with the quickly dwindling fire.

He tried to imagine what Sokka would tell him to do in this instance. _"Call it quits, Aang. There's no way that fire-magic is worth this much effort. Besides, water puts out fire, right? You __don't need firebending to defeat the Fire Lord. You and Katara just need to drop a tsunami on him!"_

Somehow he didn't think much of imaginary-Sokka's advice was relevant.

Mental-Katara piped up, _"C'mon, Aang, you can do it! It's just a hill, right? And that jerk isn't with you, so cheer up!"_

Fictional-Toph would be angry at the very suggestion of weakness, so he blocked out those thoughts before they could even begin.

The one voice that he let cascade over him, however, was that of Zuko, who had been left behind. _"Hurry up. Your flame is going to go out because it's too small... you're too timid. Give it more juice. You can do it. I know you can. You're a talented kid." _He could just imagine the slight smile that would creep up in those golden eyes, and he felt horrible.

Aang knew that Zuko had been excited to meet the masters, and even more excited to finally learn the true secret of where his bending had come from – and when it had come down to it, Aang had opted to go on without Zuko, just because the Sun Warriors had forbidden the ex-prince to learn of it. Of course, he had promised Zuko that he would tell him exactly what happened, and would teach him himself if he had to, but it was hardly any condolence.

By the time Aang had grudgingly accepted his semi-betrayal, he was surprised to find that the trail had leveled out some, and it was only another couple hundred yards before he was standing on the marble-floored plateau, facing the Sun Warriors and yet another set of towering stone steps. If he hadn't been so nervous about meeting – and essentially being _judged_ by the Masters – he probably would've complained at the prospect of ascending yet again.

The Sun Warrior Chief met him before the stairs, and reached towards the fire barely held in Aang's shaking hands. For a moment Aang was relieved – it was a struggle to maintain the fire for such a long time and distance – but then the Chief stepped away with only half of Aang's previously large flame, and he resigned himself to carrying around this flame forever. Part of the Chief's fire was passed on to one of the waiting Sun Warriors, and within seconds, the entire plateau was surrounded by glowing wreaths of flame. Aang noticed that another Warrior stood behind each of the flame-bearing Warriors, and he wondered whether they were there in case the first one got tired of holding the flame. He could relate.

Both Aang and the Chief began the long ascent.

"Do not look at me. Don't react."

It took a second for the harsh whispered words to process, but once they had, it took all of Aang's will not to jump away from the older man who was determinedly staring forward as they went up the steep steps. The Chief's hands twitched around his fire, but the flame remained full and strong. Aang looked back down at the ground as they kept walking.

"You must learn the secret to Firebending," he whispered haltingly, all movement of the mouth imperceptible to anyone but Aang. "I hope you understand and can forgive me."

"For–forgive you for what?"

"I couldn't do anything to endanger my people, at least not until I was sure that you would know enough about Firebending to defeat the Fire Lord."

The Chief wasn't telling him everything... "Endanger them...?"

"The daughter of the Fire Lord is in the village."

Despite the steady walking pace and the forced-even breathing that never even hitched due to his airbending mastery, Aang felt as though the world both fell out of place and clicked, all at the same time. Suddenly, the comment about the girl not being his daughter, yet wanting to run the village; the high-and-mighty way she had held herself; the out-of-place looking guards, all made sense. As though sensing Aang's confusion and frustration, the Chief swiftly removed a sharp blade from an inner pocket mid-stride, and Aang was positive that from their angle, none of the Sun Warriors below could have noticed it. The older man held it slightly in between them, and after a moment to weed through the sharp glare from the sun, Aang could clearly see in the reflection of the angled blade that the men previously wielding the fire were kneeling before their guards, hands clasped behind their heads in surrender to the men looming behind them.

"But.. why...?"

"The Fire Princess may be foolish to believe that she can harness the power of the Sun Warriors for long, but even she knows better than to risk losing the secret to perfect Firebending. You are the Avatar... the Masters will not deny you. She knows that if she waits for you to unlock the secret first, all she has to do is plunder the treasure after taking care of you." They were rapidly gaining distance, and the Chief's words came faster and faster as they lost more and more time.

"Then why didn't she just go to see them?" Directly after he asked it, he knew that it was a rather stupid question. Azula was anything if not unprepared.

"She was adamant against her brother – your sickly firebending friend, I believe? – learning of the secret. That young woman is highly paranoid. If she owned a pet ferrethampster, I'd suspect that she'd quickly kill it to prevent it taking her place on the throne. We were quick to agree with her sentiments."

"So... you told her the Masters would hate her for what her ancestors did? Just like you did with Zuko?"

"Exactly."

Aang was relieved, but only infinitesimally. The Masters hadn't have _really_ hated Zuko, which would make the older boy feel a lot better, he was sure. However, it did mean that his sister was trying to ruin his life again, which wouldn't be viewed with the same happiness. He didn't have much time to think about the ethics of family, though, as seconds later they were standing on the narrow bridge, a good hundred feet or so up in the air.

The Sun Warrior Chief turned away from Aang, following the line of the bridge until he was standing in the center, facing a large cave in the giant mountain that wasn't visible from the ground. He bent over slightly, holding the fire out before him as though he was preparing to feed a sabertooth mooselion. After staring awkwardly for several moments, the man coughed pointedly, and Aang was quick to follow his lead, facing the cave in the opposing mountain wall.

Far below them, one of the Sun Warriors not being restrained blew a loud horn. The sound echoed throughout the valley.

All of a sudden, a rumble followed that horn and dust flew from each opening, as though the rocks inside were caving in. His hands shook from the unexpected sound, and he could feel the fire seemingly drip through the cracks of his hands, his own energy no longer being enough to keep the flame going. The burning drops fell nearly to his knees before they slowed, turned, and lazily looped back around his arms to rest in his hands once more. A small smirk stole across the Chief's turned face.

The rumbling grew much louder, and a whooshing sound took up his ears. A gigantic red dragon flew at him from inside the cave before him, flying up to loop around the pair menacingly. The Chief did not even tense.

Another dragon – blue this time – flew from the cave before the older man, and joined it's brethren in wide circles around the two that reminded Aang fiercely of vulturewasps awaiting prey. The two dragons spun complicated circles around both of them, diving and twisting in different arrangements every trip around, and for a moment, Aang thought that maybe – just _maybe_ – they were dancing with each other.

"D— Do they want us to dance with them?" He asked mutedly to the Chief, feeling all at once that it was both a good idea and stupid thought.

"It is good to know that not all young are as foolish as the Princess down below."

Slowly, so as to let Aang keep up with the complicated movements, the Sun Warrior Chief began to perform the Dancing Dragon. When their arms rose sharply in the air, the dragons flew up in response. When they crouched low, the dragons dipped to the movements. Each long, nerve-filled step seemed to take a lifetime, but it was probably only seconds before they came to the end, closed fists meeting back in the same spots they had started from.

Only after they were both done, did Aang allow himself to actually look at the dragons themselves. They were hovering before them on either side, sharp eyes and even sharper teeth gleaming in the early morning light. He figured this must be judgment.

He could only hope that he had done alright.

Finally, both dragons reached out with long claws and pulled their long bodies from the skies, coiling along the stone step sides until they were in the opportune position to... do _something_, what, Aang had no clue.

He could only assume that he had failed, as the dragons opened their gleaming mouths, great plumes of fire flying towards them, by them, all around them.

And yet, he couldn't feel a thing.

It was as though the gods had taken all the fiery colors of the sunset and sunrise combined and wrapped them up in a wonderfully warm ribbon around the two of them. There was so many more colors than Aang had ever seen, twisting together, making eachother more beautiful, living together. It was Firebending harmony – energy and life. Like there was a small sun growing within him, fueled not by anger and hate, but by passion and inner warmth.

He wished Zuko could see it.

As quick as it started, it was over, and the dragons finished their spirals in the sky to fly back into their tight caves in the mountain walls. The Chief turned and grabbed his arm, pulling him over to a long pole that had been lying off to the side, ignored for the most part until now due to his jumping nerves.

"My glider!"

"Take it and fly away," the Chief urged him, handing him the slender length of light wood with both hands. He pointed out beyond a large grassy hill. "Your sky bison is still safe, beyond that ridge. The Princess doesn't know of it."

"I can't," Aang denied desperately despite the eager way he had accepted his glider. "I can't leave without Zuko!"

The Chief stared him down sternly, understanding and demanding all at once. "It's too late for him. The Fire Princess had him sent away last night, right after you separated. He's likely halfway to The Boiling Rock by now."

"_No...._" He had just learned the secret to Firebending. Things were looking up again! This couldn't be happening...

_Except it **was** happening_.

Down on the plateau, Azula had obviously decided that she was done patiently waiting, and with only the small wave of a regal hand, a dozen or so balls of fire were soaring at them from all sides. Aang's first instinct was to throw his arms out to Airbend the danger away. However, as they got nearer, he could feel the energies of their fire flowing around him, and it only took the slightest change in stance to go from Airbending away the issue to controlling it, _bending_ it, and he could finally understand the rush Zuko claimed to feel when bending large amounts of his element. It wasn't anything like Airbending, nor Waterbending or Earthbending. Airbending and Waterbending focused more on pushing and pulling an already constantly moving element, and it was hardly ever precise. Earthbending was a pure strength of will, that much Toph had clearnly driven in.

Firebending, however, was pure emotion – something he had been warned not to let control him in conjunction with his other elements. When a nearby ball came yards from his head, it only took one swipe to create his own flame to slice the offending one in two. He sent the next two back towards their senders, who veered them carelessly off into the mossy valley. A tree caught fire and in seconds, three around it were up in flames as well.

Aang looked to the Chief for guidance, only to find him struggling to hold back a barrage of fire himself. He glanced down at the glider clutched tight in one hand.

"Hurry!"

Aang nodded sadly, taking one last look at the nearly-overwhelmed leader before releasing the button that would transform the handy staff to an even handier glider and taking off over the edge of the fire-laden mountainside.

The last glimpse he caught of the ancient people, before his small glider took him over the cusp of the grassy hill, was of a city in flames, it's Chief glaring defiantly up at an infuriated Azula.

* * *

The first time he thought he had regained consciousness, his world had tossed about side to side, darkness all-encompassing.

The second time hadn't been much more pleasant, but he had at least been able to catch a few glimpses of rotten wood and rusted steel chains before the rocking of the sea had put him under once again.

And as the feeling slowly began to creep like a hungry colony of spiderants up from his toes to his legs, Zuko wondered if this time would be any better. It was obvious by the way he was no longer swaying side to side, and the cold concrete underneath his cheek, that he was no longer on a ship. Judging by the shadows of light playing across his closed eyelids, hadn't been for quite a while.

An overwhelming smell – somewhere between mold and rotten sealpig meat – slunk in past his defenses, and he raised his hand towards his face to rub at his offended nose.

_Clink_

Freezing cold metal bit against his wrist, and kept his hands sturdily by his sides. He frowned, squinting his eyes shut against both the rancid odor and the uncomfortable feeling of being chained to the concrete ground. _Why did everything bad have to happen to him?_

"Well, well. What do we have here?"

Zuko allowed his weary eyes to remain closed for an extra moment. Of course they couldn't just leave him alone.... Eventually he let his blurry sight focus on the man reclined languidly in the corner of his small cell, everything but the tan fingers of the dirty hands resting on his knees in the cover of shadow. Tons of tiny scars littered the digits, and Zuko knew that this was no Firebender. Judging from the skin tone, he wasn't even Fire Nation. As he watched tiredly, the man stood, shadow slinking back to leave just the ghost of those long hands dipping into the wide pockets of prison-issued garb.

"Can't..." Zuko began, coughing roughly when his vocal chords vehemently protested any attempt at speech. "Can't you just leave me alone?"

"No can do," the man replied easily, vowels stretched oddly as though he wasn't used to talking in such a way. "I can't stand people who betray me." As he spoke, he tore a crumpled piece of parchment from his pocket, slapping it fiercely against the rough stone of the only flat surface in the room – the bed. It was a wanted poster from nearly a year before, back when he had had his hair shewn short, the flyer still depicting it in its traditional Fire Nation high ponytail.

_Someone was always trying to blame something on him...._

"Whatever it is that you've got against the Fire Nation, I didn't do anything to you."

"Is that what you think, _Prince Zuko_?" the man taunted, stepping forward out of the shadow to where Zuko could finally see his face. The smirk was the same. The disheveled hair was the same. The severe eyebrows were still dominating much of the other's face. The only thing missing was his signature sprig of wheat, which Zuko knew Jet had even slept with – prior to going crowbatshit insane, of course.

"Or should I say, _Lee_?"

* * *

Okay. Yeah. I couldn't kill off Jet. I heart him. I really do.

As usual, review!


	12. Ch 11: Rocky Rapport

AN:

Warnings: Okay. So this has been rated M for like... ever, just in case, but this one is mainly for Jet's foul mouth. _Really_ foul mouth. [You know, in case anyone is offended by the word, "dick."]

It's also really [really] short, which sucks, I know. It's also really rushed and kind of craptastic, but I just really [really] needed to post something before I lost whatever plot thingies for this that I had drifting around my noggin. Noggin? Does anyone still say that? Regardless, here's the next bit, and hopefully the next-next bit won't take such an ungodly amount of time to post.

Pray for me.

* * *

A roaring burst of flame scored the hillside where he had been hovering seconds earlier. Long wheatgrass caught flame and immolated in a whirl of heat and orange-red that nearly matched that of the sun hanging low in the sky. Aang chanced a backwards glance to the quickly receding temple, ducking several feet as another jet of deadly flame shot directly at him. While Azula's cronies took fierce control over the Sun Warrior people, Azula herself took after him, firing red jets along her feet and sending her into flight.

Aang urged the wind faster, propelling himself towards the approaching hillside at a speed that would be considered foolish for anyone other than the master of all aimed himself dead for it, relying on an adapted version of Toph's training to dodge the fired blasts. He was just peaking the hill when something viciously hot struck the glider, knocking him off it and sent him flying through the air. Azula cackled behind him, the great _whoosh_ sound of her fire jets expelling as she landed more lightly at the top of the hill.

"This is the great power of the _Avatar_?" The girl sneered. She stood her ground at the top of the hill, arms crossed in an intimidating gesture, which Aang recognized was working. Working very well, actually. "_You_ outmatched my idiotic brother for this long? I suppose it shouldn't surprise me, though – Zuzu always had been a weakling."

If he hadn't been less than twenty feet from a psychopath intent on displaying his head on her wall, Aang might've argued that she didn't look so good herself. The older teen's cheeks were reddened slightly from the exertion and it had been red, not her signature blue fire that had jettisoned her after him only moments before. Azula looked tired but determined... much like how Zuko had been looking more and more over the last month.

"Zuko's better than you'll ever be!"

From his seat, Aang could see the long grass under her feet sizzle and little tendrils of smoke curl up around the edges of her steel-pointed boots. An eyebrow lowered slightly in fury, but other than that she showed no outward signs of how much the comment had riled her. Both the Fire Children had an equally fiery temper, that Aang knew personally. And, while it was also very threatening, that temper could help him get out of this (hopefully) unharmed.

Trying not to alert her of his intentions, he slowly slid his hand into the small pocket in the side of his pants. His fingertip had just ran over the smooth ivory of the Sky Bison whistle when she had recovered enough to step forward, calling an orange ball of flame in her right hand.

"That pathetic piece of filth doesn't deserve the air he breathes. I'll cut out his eyes before I kill him, just for you, so you can see just how blind the traitor really is." The flame grew and swirled as she spoke, seemingly feeding off her anger. Her eyes were almost glossy, however, and Aang wondered for the first time just how much of that she really meant.

What if, under all that frustration and anger, was a little sister who just missed her big brother?

Then she flung the fire ball at him, and that thought was dashed as he rolled over to narrowly avoid being singed. He yanked the whistle out of his pocket and blew hard.

Azula armed herself with two more fire balls, almost cackling as the little flames flickered blue at the edges overy couple seconds. "Sounds like your little whistle's broken, Avatar."

A large white beast reared its head behind him and he grinned weakly, dodging the two flames as he leapt onto Appa's wide head. Below him Azula screamed in frustration as he flew off out of sight.

* * *

Zuko ducked his head down low, jerking his body in the other direction as he dodged the third punch to his head. His foot swung out wildly and just managed to catch on the back of Jet's heel, sending the irate teen to the ground with a thump alongside him. This did little to hinder him though, as Jet launched himself at the smaller teen, apparently assuming that if he couldn't lay a punch, he could at least suffocate the ex-prince with brute force alone. Zuko twisted his shoulders from side to side harshly, the sharp motion being the only thing keeping the tan teen's fingers from closing around his throat and not letting go.

He didn't think suffocating would help the Avatar defeat his father any...

"_Get off me!_" He barked, punctuating it with a headbutt that had Jet's hands slip from his shoulders to protect his own face. "You may hate me," the _definitely _part going unsaid in favor of gaining some ground, "but surely you're an honorable man. How is this even _near_ a fair fight?!"

Jet just scoffed, crouching on his haunches just out of range of Zuko's ready legs. "Funny. Fire Nation scum, preaching honor? To you, honor is nothing more than sucking your superior's dick until you have the chance to overthrow him."

Zuko bristled, if not at the implication then at the audacity of the other teen. "Listen here, Dirt Kingdom – I know more about honor than you _ever_ will!" The thick chains rattled as he clenched his fists by his sides, jerking his head at the wanted poster still curling slightly on the bed. "You can't just look at _that_ and think you know my life's story.

"I don't need to see that. You're the fucking _prince_! Everyone knows who you are..."

Armed with a renewed sense of justice, Jet threw himself at the smaller teen again, fists and spit flying.

* * *

Zuko shoved the dead weight-arm off his side irritably, noting with some satisfaction the frown that peeked out from behind the black eye and split lip. But then he winced as the smirk pulled on the darkening patch of skin along his own jaw. So maybe he didn't escape their scuffle completely unscathed...

Jet's half-curled fist smacked against the only part of Zuko he could really see from his angle – a prison garb'd upper thigh. He grumbled into the arm thrown across his face(not necessarily his own), and let his other arm flop back to the floor.

"This isn't helping either of us."

It was obvious that Jet hated to agree, but he nodded anyways. He struggled to a sitting position against the cement wall at the back of the small cell. Zuko sat up as well, leaning as far forward as he could with his restraints to press his burning forehead against the cool cement, past the point of caring about the dirt and dust that settled across every visible inch of his body. The pounding that had been a pernament fixture in his head the last couple days returned with a vengeance and he swallowed thickly around the nauseous feeling crawling up the back of his throat.

Jet traced the outline of a scar across his palm distractedly. "We need to get out of here. This... fricken' scum-infested hellhole. I don't know about you, but I'm not about to sit on my ass and wait for the fucking higher-ups to decide we deserve even worse."

Zuko thought of his sister, his father and the heavy bounty hanging over him – particularily over his severed head. "We won't make it out if we go at it separately—"

"I don't need help from _you_, Fire Nation!"

"Then wait for the executioner's block, you fool," he snarled back. Immediantly he chastised himself – Jet wasn't one to listen to threats – and schooled his expression towards something resembling thoughtfulness. "Look, you wouldn't be needing help from me. It's just... a temporary stand-still, alright? If – _when – _we get out of here, you can go right back to trying to kill me. This way you can save your energy for when it really matters."

The tanned teen glared unseeingly towards the door. He didn't seem to like the idea – Zuko doubted he'd ever like what a firebender had to say – but at least he was considering it. He had half expected another round of sloppy punches. Thank Agni he still looked tired; he didn't think either of them would make it through another scuffle.

"It's gonna' be hard," he said finally, letting his fists drop to hang loosely between his knees. "Security's doubled since last week. I don't think even these Fire Nation shitheads are dumb enough to leave their keys laying around anymore. _Not that I can't still break out_," he denied with a snarl, shooting a heated look at Zuko as though the boy had even suggested it, " but it's gonna' be that much harder."

Zuko had always been detail-oriented – chasing after the Avatar required lots of inginuity and the abliity to pick out the tiniest hints from his informants – so of course he was immediantly derailed by something in the other teen's speech. "What happened last week?"

"A breakout. A team of fighters snuck in and took about ten people with them. Threw twice that in guards into the lake – _damn_ I wish I would've been part of that!" Jet seethed, slamming his palms flat on the cement floor in agitation. "Fucking guards had me in lockdown for 'insubordination'. _I'll_ show them insubordination..."

_He didn't doubt it._

"Right..." He trailed off, sitting back to a cross-legged position as the cold cement leeched away the feeling from his forehead and nose. "So. Where exactly _are_ we, anyway?"

The question had been in the back of mind for a while. Of course, self-preservation tended to blur the seemingly insignificant when someone was trying to beat you to a pulp, but now that he wasn't in any immediate danger, he studied the steel chains around his wrists and the small flame symbol etched into the center of every link. _How typical_._ Only the Fire Nation would be egotistical enough to carve their symbol into even their torture devices... _He knew he was in some sort of prison, Fire Nation naturally, but there were hundreds of prisons in his native country. Dozens more if one were to count internment camps.

"Boiling Rock," Jet said. "Or as the Warden proclaims: 'your personal hell'. The guy's got this delusion in his head that he's better than me because he's Fire Nation." Personally, he thought it was because Jet was a criminal, but wisely kept that to himself. "Remind me to carve him up good on my way out."

Zuko nearly slapped himself for his obliviousness. He knew of the Boiling Rock, if only because his sister had used to have this fascination with war prisoners and what Father did with them. Actually, she probably still had that interest, knowing her. Still, it seemed only fitting that she send her own personal war prisoner to her favorite prison – one known for its brutal treatment and eventual execution of its prisoners. Then he noticed (with another moment of clarity) that of course Jet's signature hooked swords were gone, and that his own dual blades weren't anywhere in sight either.

_What was I expecting, the guards to leave me a weapon to escape? Get real..._

Suddenly, a loud buzzer went off, followed by a series of clicks and the heavy door groaned as it shifted in its cradle. He looke over his shoulder to see it slowly slide away to reveal that across the hallway, the doors of other prisoners' cells were opening as well. He glanced around quickly to Jet, who was getting to his feet with a groan as the light overhead flickered and died. The other teen crossed the short distance to the doorway and turned back to him, sneering.

"Lunch. Looks like the guards forgot to unlock you... guess you'll have to go without. I'll be back in a couple hours." He turned back around again, grabbing onto what Zuko assumed was a handle on the other side of the door. "Have fun."

With that Jet slammed the door, and Zuko was alone in the dark.

* * *

It was after nightfall when Aang finally spotted the hanging temples of the western airbenders, the large centered one glowing dimly with the flickering light of the dying campfire within. The sun had gone down hours ago while Appa had just breached the western region, so he doubted that anyone was still awake despite the light. The Duke had a slight fear of the dark and Katara had taken to letting the fire die out naturally to give the boy a chance to fall asleep before surrounded in total darkness.

Aang didn't care that everyone was asleep, though.

One temple a little ways away had a faint orange glow emitting from one of the upper windows, and he knew he had found his man. He coaxed Appa into a gentle landing on a dark platform a ways beyond even the lone temple, and crept towards the room.

Sokka, Aang knew, would be the one in Zuko's room after everyone else had gone to bed. The ritual had begun since practically the day the golden-eyed teen had come – tired, sick and injured – pleading for them to allow him to do his part in ending the war. Every night Sokka would sneak off to Zuko's room where they'd sit and talk about who-knows-what for hours, until one of them would yawn, and they'd laugh about it a bit before Sokka would head back to the center temple to sleep in his own bedroll. This Aang knew because Toph had told him. And Toph knew everything that happened around here.

It didn't surprise Aang that Sokka wouldn't quit his ritual even with Zuko gone, though. For all his spontaneity, Sokka was awfully fond of his familiarities.

The stairs didn't so much as whisper under his weight as he flit up them, taking them nearly two at a time in his rush to get to Sokka and save their mutual friend. He wouldn't have even come back for the Water Tribe teen if he had known where Boiling Rock Prison was, but he didn't, so he went to the first person he felt would have any idea. They needed to leave now though, or something really bad could happen to Zuko...

_'I'll cut out his eyes before I kill him, just for you...'_

Aang shivered at the thought and hovered just outside the older teen's door. Soft voices whispered to eachother on the other side, and he pressed his ear to the door to better hear. It sounded like Toph had joined Sokka, and was chastising him about something.

"I mean, it's obvious. Why else would you be sitting in here every night by yourself, sleeping in his bed? C'mon..."

There was a slight rustling sound, and Aang could picture Sokka crossing his arms defiantly. "He's become sort of my best friend... and I miss him. _That's it_. Don't go making things more sentimental than they are."

"Sentimental?" Toph laughed, a light and sarcastic sound. "He's my friend too. Also, you're the one cuddling and sniffing his pillow, don't forget." The girl sighed softly, and Aang leant forward a bit more to hear the voices on the other side of the door. "Just face it. You're in love with Zuko."

Aang jerked back, face suddenly aflame. _In love_? Sokka was in _love_ with _Zuko_? The more he thought about it though, it kind of made sense. Sokka had been spending a lot of time with Zuko lately, more than he had ever spent with any of them, and he always lit up whenever Zuko was around. But did their resident ex-Fire Nation prince feel the same way? He certainly tolerated Sokka well enough, and he had seen them sitting side-by-side almost a little _too_ close on more than one occasion, but it had never struck him as anything more than friendly before. Aang pressed his ear to the door to hear what Sokka had to say in response to that, but it was silent on the other side.

Suddenly the door was pulled out from before him, and he would've fell flat on his face if it weren't for the palm planted flat against his forehead.

"I figured that was enough eavesdropping for one day," Toph said dryly. "Besides, I think Sokka's got enough to think about as it is."

Aang looked up at said teen, who was sitting rather rigidly on the edge of Zuko's bed, red in the face and not meeting his eyes. He figured he wuold feel the same way if someone confronted him about his feelings for Katara. Sokka's face grew even darker red, and Aang realized he was probably expecting Zuko to come out behind him, having eavesdropped as well. And that was the issue.

"Guys, we've got a problem."

* * *

With the far off sounds of the other inmates muffled by the door, it was impossible to tell how long he had been sitting there. Staring holes into the darkness. Straining his ears for the faint sound of approaching footsteps. There was nothing.

He understood, on some level, that Jet had shut the door to dissuade any potentially merciful guards from coming to free him, to give him his lunch and couple hours of disguised freedom. He knew he should have been furious with the Earth Kingdom mutt... but he couldn't bring himself to be. While he could've enjoyed a brief stint without sharp metal cutting into his wrists, he was sure that there were prisoners out there who wanted him dead far more than the comparitively harmless psychopath.

Also, he still wasn't hungry.

Whatever had been viciously attacking his strength and appetite for the last month or longer obviously hadn't decided to take a break dispite his capture. For once he was thankful. He hadn't been able to eat much within the last few days – he knew it would just come up, along with a fair amount of blood, anyway. Silently he promised himself that if he got out of this, he would ask Katara if she could heal him. Or, at the very least, if she knew what was wrong.

As though proving his point, the queasy feeling stole his breath away sharply, leaving him gasping for air and leaning forward against his wall once again for something solid and real to keep him steady. Earth seemed to be spinning all that faster. He tried to blink away the darkness, tell his brain that the world _wasn't_ moving, but it didn't listen. Instead the darkness pressed against his eyeballs like a literal weight, and no amount of shaking his head could force away the pounding. Was that his heartbeat? He reached up desperately towards his chest. He _had _to find out if he was hearing his own life pound faster, or if there was something else in his ink-black prison. His wrist was jerked to a stop by the cuff, and Zuko whimpered despite himself. The pounding got louder, and he could've sworn he heard something shift behind him. Jerking his head around towards the door, he was met again with solid blackness.

_Calm down, Zuko_, he thought to himself, sucking in a deep breath through his nostrils. The air came out through his mouth, cold, and the sensation didn't help his frazzled nerves. _No one is in here besides yourself_. His neck was starting to hurt from it's turned position, but he still couldn't force himself to look away from where he knew the door was.

_How else would he know if someone snuck in there with him?_

Zuko shook his head sharply to deny the thought. He was stronger than this. Hell, he was the ex-prince of the Fire Nation – born and bred to rule. What was it about the all-enclosing blackness that had his heart beating so much harder?

Muffled footsteps marched from outside the door, and his head whipped back around towards the door, staring intently as though the extra attention would allow him to see through the darkness. In a way it did, although not where he was expecting it to. The steps stopped before his door, and with a series of clicks a crack of light lit up the floor several feet to the left of where he had been looking. With the new light, he quickly glanced around the room, golden eyes darting from the stone slab of a bed to the far cement wall for some dark creature that could've snuck in while he was busy looking in the wrong direction. Nothing was there.

"And you," the guard continued at Zuko, who was only now joining the conversation, "might want to get used to the dark. They're not letting you out anytime soon." With that he shoved Jet back inside the dim cell, the lights flickering on seconds after the door slammed shut behind the both of them.

* * *

Okay!

It's short, it sucks, and it may seem at first glance that nothing really productive happens. However, there's a lot of little hints in here that will be kind of a big deal in later chapters, so I hope you paid attention to it's suckiness [also: the next chapter should be out in two weeks or less. Already getting started!].

Now _review_... it makes me happy, and prompts me to write more. Besides, I like to hear your guys' ideas. :D


	13. Ch 12: Point of View

**AN: cries** Terrara was especially hard on TP this chapter... I can only blame myself. Next time I am SOOO not going to wait so long before starting writing.

/nods

Anywho, enjoy... and don't forget to Review! =]

* * *

"When the fuckers are done unloading their cattle, I'll clear the gondola while you flip the reverse lever. Think you can manage that, _Fire Nation_?"

A small sigh at the title, but then he was nodding, leaning back against the warm stone of the outer walls. Sweat trickled down his brow. It was a consequence, he figured, of having a prison surrounded by _boiling frickin' lava_ that the air would be hot and humid.

The dark and cold cell had obviously spoiled him.

Jet's profile was tense and coiled at his side, focused and intent on the conversation of the prison guards right around the corner, and their get-away-gondola that was approaching with all the speed and momentum of an elephantslug. The broken-off piece of chopstick he had been using as a substitute for his usual stalk of wheat bobbed and jerked against his teeth at every chuckle and self-satisfied smirk the men made; Zuko prayed to Agni that they didn't say anything too riling – Jet would most likely make them backtrack for a new chew toy if he snapped his current one in anger.

Thankfully he seemed to calm down some when the gondola jerked to a halt some twenty yards away – less feral, though dark eyes still eyed every movement beyond their wall with a sharpness akin to an animal stalking prey. Tan and callused hands fidgeted at his sides, and Zuko recalled the unusual hooked swords that had been more than for show as they had hooked his ankles out from beneath him in Ba Sing Sei. His own fingers twitched.

If only they could've found their swords, things wouldn't be looking quite so bleak.

He peeked around the corner to see the last of the war prisoners being marched onto the platform. The man was tall and fairly dark-skinned, with beads matching his eyes woven into long dark hair. _Water Tribe_. The eyes were enough of a give away, as Sokka and Katara had the only blue eyes he had ever seen. He was just wondering if maybe they knew each other when rough fingers encircled his wrist, tugging to remind him that _yeah, they were trying to escape here, remember_?

He followed swiftly behind the taller teen, ducking behind as many storage barrels as they could before the open shot to the gondola opening. By the time they got to the last one he was panting, leaning hard against their cover and hoping that Jet would have the mercy of a few moment's breath before breaking into the fray. Rationally, he knew it wasn't going to happen. His logic wasn't disappointed.

"_Now!_"

As Jet fought a path towards the gondola, Zuko darted for the large lever protruding from the ground. One of the guards threw a fireball at him, which he just managed to dissipate yards from his face. He tugged hard at the lever with one hand, the other extended wildly in case of a repeat performance. Suddenly the guard dropped, however, and the Water Tribe man was running beside him, a rock dropping from his fist when it didn't look like he'd need to bash anyone else's head in at the moment.

"Need a hand?"

Dozens more guards were sprinting across the courtyard, and Jet was screaming at him to hurry the fuck up from the gondola. _Yeah, a hand would be nice._ "Yeah, thanks." Hands nearly double the size of his own grabbed on either side of his on the lever and pulled hard enough to almost throm him all over again. As it were, the guards were on them almost immediately, flinging fire that Zuko had neither the energy nor time to deflect. He and his would-be rescuer dived behind more of the supply barrels, panting.

"You two don't seem to be having much luck," the Water Tribesman commented, leaning forward to hurl a handy rock at the regrouping guards. It seemed they had realized that this was the _prince_ they were up against, and were a little more than nervous to have to attempt any sort of firebending brawl with the notorious bender. Granted, he could hardly bend his own breath at the moment, but they didn't have to know that.

"Somehow it sounded much simpler from the cell." They had been lucky enough when Jet had decided that he had been stuck there long enough and knocked out the man guarding their cell. Lucky that no one else had been around, that is. The trouble he had just locating the key to Zuko's chains should've been a sign that maybe brute force wasn't the best plan of action. By that point it had been too late to back out, though (and the freedom and lack of harsh metal against his wrists were enough incentives, regardless).

"Things usually do."

By now the guards had apparently come to the conclusion that they didn't _really_ want to lose their jobs, and that en masse they could beat a scrawny teenager; the Water Tribesman was glancing around for something else to throw at them. Unless he threw the barrel they were hiding behind, their options were depleted. "After I throw this, run straight to the gondola. I think your friend's going to come and grab you personally if you don't get over there soon."

Zuko nodded to show he understood, and seconds later his cover was gone, being hurled towards the scattering guards. He ran towards the stationary gondola, realizing only belatedly that he hadn't managed to pull the lever entirely. Jet leaped off the gondola, face red and fists clenched.

"Fucking useful you are!" He swore, ducking an incoming guard's fiery punch and retaliating with a sweeping kick that sent the guard down hard. He grabbed Zuko's arm as he slid to a stop, shoving him towards the relative shelter of the gondola. "I'll get the lever, you keep the guards off our ticket out of here." Jet didn't wait for a response though, and Zuko was forced to back up towards the platform edge as several more guards lumbered forward to replace the one downed by the dark eyed teen.

The first guard ran forward with the wild abandon of an amateur bender. Even in his weakened state, Zuko only had to sidestep him and follow with a swift backhand to send the fool tumbling over the edge of the platform. He winced as the man's screams were snuffed out by the lake of superheated water below.

Guards two and three glanced at one another before separating to either side of him, hoping to corner the ex-prince. Zuko growled low in his throat despite himself. _He would not be taken down by his own subjects_. He sent the strongest fireball he could manage at the one to his left, hoping to provoke him to attack first. The scar marring the left side of his face didn't do any favors for his vision on that side, and if the man was going to attack, Zuko wanted to know when to expect it.

Exactly as expected, the man caught the blast with one hand, redirecting it with the other. His partner swung his arms around to join in the fight, when something brown struck the side of his head with a _thwap_.

_A shoe...?_

Attention diverted, the guard turned to his new assailant, who stood ready, other prison-issued shoe in hand. "You're new here so you don't know how we do things. Put the shoe down and get back in line and we might decide to overlook these new discretions!"

"Overlook _this_!" The Water Tribe man hurled his other shoe at the guard, who incinerated the leather with a quick wave of fire, then returned a fireball back at the man. The Tribesman dodged around the flames nearly as well as Aangwould, delivering enough returning blows to keep the man busy.

Zuko ducked as a whip of flame cracked just above his head, his attacker apparently having decided that his fellow guard could handle the situation. He summoned two distressingly pitiful balls of flame in his hands, sinking into a low defensive stance, at the ready. A bead of sweat slid down his brow as darkness swirled around the edges of his vision.

Suddenly Jet burst into view, using the guard's back as a springboard to get to the gondola. "It's going, Princess. Move your ass!"

_Princess? _Zuko growled. _Asshole...

* * *

_

"Azula's got Zuko!"

Perhaps blurting it out after a overheard semi-love confession wasn't the most tactful idea, but Aang justified that given the situation, speed outweighed subtlety. His friends didn't seem to see it that way, however. A short chorus of "_what?_"'s attacked him, before Toph – true to her nature – shoved Sokka aside and Earthbended the door shut to block the yelling from waking the rest of the group.

"What do you mean, _'_she's _got_ him'? Is Sparky okay? What happened?"

"I'm not sure what exactly she did, but I think she got to him after we separated for bed. She invaded the Sun Warriors and I think she was using us to try to learn about the dragons' secrets. They wouldn't let Zuko see them because they don't like his people. Then the Chief said that Azula took him to The Boiling Rock prison and—"

"Wait, Aang," Sokka interrupted, standing up as well. "Slow down. What's this about the Sun Warriors? I thought they were all _dead!_"

Aang threw his hands up in the air in frustration. _Quit focusing on the small stuff. Zuko's in trouble!_ "Well they're not, ok? And neither are the dragons because that's how they teach people how to really Firebend. Fire isn't just destruction – it's _life_! But that's not important! The Sun Warrior chief only had enough time to tell me where they took him before Azula popped up and started throwing fireballs at me. I was hoping that you'd know where it is, Sokka."

Worry was flooding the Watertribe teen's features. Aang could only watch miserably as irrational anger jumped up to mask it. "So you just left him there? You're the Avatar – couldn't you have done _something?_"

"Shut up, Lover-boy." Sokka winced at the crude punch to his arm, shame making him blush but he offered no apology for his actions. "I get that you're worried for Sparky, but don't go dragging that _Avatar _stuff into it. Twinkletoes can't do everything. Besides, don't you _listen_?" A sharp tug to his ear. "Azula took him at night while Aang was asleep. What was he supposed to do after he was already gone?"

"I'm sorry, Sokka... I wish I could've stopped her, but at least we can try to help him now. But... how're we going to find The Boiling Rock?"

Those blue eyes lit up with sudden renewed spirit, and he didn't break his stride as Toph bended the doorway inches before his face. He seemed to tune out Aang's questions until he was digging through Zuko's bag, still tucked safely into the corner of Appa's saddle. "Zuko used a map to direct you towards the Sun Warrior ruins, right? I bet it has The Boiling Rock on it, too. A-ha! See, here it is!" He gestured wildly towards a small blip on the crinkled parchment.

Toph frowned but for once didn't point out how she couldn't _see_ it. "Not to break up this rescue party, but what about the others? Katara'll freak if she wakes up and finds us all gone. And no offense, but I am _not _going to be the one left behind to tell your cranky sister the mess you've got yourself in."

Sokka turned to Aang with pleading eyes. "I _have_ to go and help... I can't just sit here knowing that something bad could be happening to Zuko right now."

"Neither can I! I'm the Avatar – it's my _job_ to help people... And Katara would be angry if she got left out, so why can't we all go?"

"You're the Avatar. Just think for a moment about it; we're going to be going into a heavily guarded Fire Nation prison, and you're their worst enemy," Sokka reasoned. "And Teo and The Duke aren't prepared for a situation like this, and no offense meant to the guy but I don't think that Haru could defend them if the Fire Nation found this place. I think we'd all feel better if there were a few _benders_ here to look after the place."

Aang huffed and his arms came up in agitation all on their own. "I can handle myself, and _Toph_ can stay here! Or we'll wake up Katara now so she can look after them..."

"Fine. Aang... My sister adores you. She does," Sokka repeated when the younger boy blushed brightly. "She'll take it best from you. Go run and let her know that we'll be back as soon as we can, I promise."

It wasn't a question. Still, as he followed Sokka's "plan," Aang had a sinking feeling that this wasn't very well thought through as he ran to go let Katara know they were leaving.

* * *

_Chink._

_Chink._

_Chink._

"Any way I could convince you to not do that?"

Jet glared up across his narrow isolation cell at the only other human presence within earshot. The Watertribesman was looking back at him with that same steady _calm as the ocean_ stare that adults always leveled on him. Judging him a delinquent for the way he acted, just because they couldn't appreciate his lifestyle . He'd seen that look come from many men before his Freedom Fighters proved themselves worthy with their fists.

The little chunk of crumbled prison-rock tumbled around in his hand as he considered it, before bouncing off the locking column again with practiced precision.

Rough fabric rustled, the Watertribesman leaning his head back against the dip between two bars in his own cell. It didn't look comfortable, but Jet could tell – burn marks across the backs of hands, long but thin scar up the left side of his jaw, dried blood scrubbed into the dirt across his face – the man had experienced worse. "That is alright. I have a son, you know – about your age? Used to drive me crazy for the sake of driving me crazy. Always wanting my attention."

"I ain't no _kid_."

"I never said that," the older man replied calmly. "Although I would question why a boy your age is considered such a risk to land himself in the Boiling Rock over some of the lower-risk mainland prisons."

"You'd be surprised what a _boy my _age can do." Jet scowled into the dim emptiness, fingers tightening around the small rock hard enough to prick the skin. A certain firebender was to blame for everything. "I was trying to expose the Fire Nation prince to the Dai Li, but it turned out the fucking princess was in charge of them, too. Nearly killed me in Lao Gai before they decided to ship me off here instead. "

A conptemplative look crossed the older man's face, wrinkling the corners of his eyes and forehead. "That _is_ strange."

"I _know_! How could everybody be so blind? I've never seen someone so obviously Fire Nation in my life! I almost believed him at first, too..."

"No," the man cut off his vivacity at finding another Fire Nation hater, "I meant that it seems impractical to take war prisoners when an execution is simpler."

Jet huffed at the perceived insult. _I ain't no __**simple**__ kill..._ "Then why'd they keep _you_ alive, old man?"

The Watertribesman just chuckled, waving a pacifying hand in his direction. "I'm Hakoda of the Southern Water Tribe. The Chief. That holds some amount of bargaining power, you understand."

_Southern Water Tribe? Then..._ "Your son – his name Sokka?" At the man's flash of recognition and nod, Jet smirked. "I know him. Him and his sister, Katara. They stopped me from doing something real stupid a while back."

Hakoda peered back at him through one squinted eye; the heat from the lava outside permeated even the basement isolation chambers, melting his energy faster than the earlier failed fight with the guards. He knew that Hakoda knew it was more than just a simple mistake. He didn't think the man was going to press him for details though, either. Boiling Rock was a prison (which at it's essence held criminals) and Jet already had teenage bullheadedness against him. To assume the worst was probably for the best.

That didn't stop him from wandering into other dangerous territory, of course.

"Your friend... The firebender? He know my children too?"

If he hadn't had been so derailed by the thought of getting along with the Fire Nation scum, Jet might've cared more about the cautious worry in the older man's voice. However, being called such a blatant flame-lover quickly put him off the man and any concern for his kids. "He's _not_ my friend. Bastard got me stuck in here, for fuck's sakes. Nah, I don't know what got Princey a one-way trip to the brig – and I don't give a shit – but I don't think your kids are with him. The guards talk. Would've heard something by now, I'm sure."

A frown tugged at the light wrinkles around Hakoda's mouth, hand stilling from where it had been unconcsiously rubbing the bar in his only outward show of nerves. "Prince? So that was the Fire Lord's son?" Jet shrugged in reply; he hadn't heard much about the circumstances of Zuko's imprisonment, and hadn't cared. "He was weaker than I thought."

He choked back a startled laugh. "Fucker's still Fire Nation. I've seen what pity can do to a person's defenses..."

"I don't pity him," Hakoda said. "Katara's told me all about this monster that has been chasing my children across the world, trying to capture Avatar Aang. From the way she described him, one would picture a seven-foot-tall behemoth. Safe to say he was nothing like what I had expected. ."

Jet said nothing. His own experience with the matter hadn't been the most valiant of heroes tales, and it wasn't something he was in a rush to share with the seasoned warrior. None of his business, either way. They sat for a while in relative silence, the slow drip of condensation off the walls the only sound in the air. After a time the other man broke it with an exasperated sigh.

"How was the plan supposed to work, exactly?"

"The _plan_ wasn't the problem," Jet retorted, "The Prince was. It's not like I _expected_ him to pass out on me or anything. _Fuck_! Look, he was supposed to get the lever while I did most of the groundwork. Once the gondola was moving, he'd stop any fireballs sent our way—"

"What would stop the guards from simply reversing the lever?"

"The _plan_ included breaking it off."

"Then what if they cut the cords?"

"Then the gondola is made of fucking steel and stone! The steel roof would float at least, and we could use our clothes to stay off the hot metal until it floated out past the volcano. Look," he said, interrupting Hakoda's endless interrogation. The man may have been a chief and had plenty of experience, but he felt for the man's kids. "For what we hadn't thought of, I'm twice as good at improvising. If the Prince hadn't fainted on me and knocked me over, the guards wouldn't have been able to surround us that fast."

Hakoda nodded acquiescence, but still: "Looked like a losing battle to me, from the start."

"Then why help us?" he asked.

Hakoda didn't answer, and Jet's pride was still too bruised to push the issue.

* * *

"We in the Fire Nation yet?"

"Almost. Boiling Rock's near the edge, ironically enough. You'd think their leaders would be smart enough to keep their war prisoners further away from potential support, but hey. Whatever makes this easier is good news in my books."

Toph snorted. "You don't even _read _books."

"I'll have you know I've read plenty of books! Besides, what good does _reading_ about the hunt do you? It's not like you're going to learn the fine art of tracking by ink and paper..." Sokka's weight slumped back against Appa's wide head, and she could tell he was glaring at her just from the huffy way he was breathing. "_Hey!_ You don't read books either!"

"At least I have an excuse."

"Yeah, yeah..."

The temperature of the warm air rushing by them was rising slightly with the languid rotations of their ride's tail. She leaned against the solid edge of the saddle, feeling the sun on her face in the same muted frequency as her feet in the sand or someone's heartbeat against a metal door. It was nice enough. _If you like that sort of thing._

"_So_," she said, dragging out the sound until she could feel her bangs flutter on the exhale, "we in the Fire Nation _yet_?"

A half-groan. "_Toph_. You just asked that. We haven't traveled twenty miles in the last minute. Quit. Asking."

"So that's a no?"

"_Yes, it's a no!_"

_Meat-head's too easy..._ "Now that was confusing. Are we there? Or aren't we? Hard to tell when I can't feel the ground from here..."

"Toph, please." Her grin drooped some at the dejected sound in his voice. As much as she liked teasing the guy, a miserable Sokka was a boring Sokka.

She felt out the thick cord of muscle at his bicep, then promptly punched it. "You're no fun when you're all mopey. Cheer up. Sparky's going to be all over you when you rush in as his knight in shining armor... Matted mooselion leather, more like."

Another thick sigh, and she wasn't sure whether she'd rather pinch his nose shut and just make him appreciate the air he was breathing or try her hand at comforting again. She prayed he'd get over it on his own. It wasn't like she'd ever _claimed_ to be a second Sugar Queen.

"It's not – Well, kinda... I'm not _in love_ with Zuko, like you keep saying. I _like_ him, sure. He's the only guy I've ever met that understands me, gets my sense of humor and doesn't want to drown a town full of people." For the sake of her own peace of mind, she resigned to asking about that when he wasn't so hung up in his Denial Mode. "And he's... It's not like he's _not_ good looking or anything. He's got this body that's all lean muscle and sharp lines, even if he could stand to put on a few pounds lately. There's this scar, you know? Anyway, it's pretty noticeable, but his eyes... I don't think he can see out of his left, but his right eye is really light gold. He's just... Zuko."

_If that wasn't a love confession, I don't know what it was._ "Do you talk all poety-like to Suki too? Or is Mr. Golden-eyes the only one you'll get all emotional for?"

The soft quality vanished from his voice as his body weight shifted away from her. "Whatever, Toph. It's not like that, okay? I'd sleep with Zuko, I'll admit it, but I _love_ Suki."

Well, he didn't _seem_ to be lying; given the context, she wasn't sure whether that was a good thing or not. She personally didn't 'see' anything wrong with being _in love_ with both, but if he was going to pull that manly crap... Speaking of which.

"I am _so _not going to be the one to deal with Aang and Katara when we get back 'cause we left them."

* * *

The second thing he noticed was that his head was pounding, slow and heavy like the Sun Warriors' drums, beating out all other thoughts until all he could focus on was the pain and the steady thrum of his pulse in his ears.

_Thump_

_Thump_

_Thump_

That was the second thing because the first was that he was cold – freezing, really – and the numbness of his fingers and toes and ears and everything in between was so complete, so pins-and-needles absolute, that it took a while for the pain to slither in between the cracks. But once it did...

_Thump_

_Thump_

_Thump_

With each new second of semi-consciousness, more sharp feeling worked its way into his limbs, reminding him in painful clarity that they existed, they were there, and that the congealing blood beneath the skin didn't appreciate the ice they were slowly being replaced with. The light behind his closed eyelids began pulsing in time with his heartbeat, but to acknowledge that his eyes were closed would be to admit he should open them. Didn't sound like a good idea.

It was white. Also, not a good idea. He blinked once, painfully. Twice. Slowly it dawned on him that he wasn't blind, just surrounded in thick whiteness. The fact that it was solid ice hit several moments later.

"_F-F-Fuck_!" He hissed, springing into a crouch away from the frozen wall he had been leaning against. Frost and small chunks of ice clung to his clothes and skin, and his numb fingers shook trying to brush them off. He huddled in on himself in the center of the frozen tube, grumbling and blowing on his fingers. He spotted the back of a head through the narrow window opposite him.

"Hey!" he yelled. The head didn't move, so he scrabbled across the short distance to beat on the frosty glass. "Hey, _w-what's this about_?"

The man jerked and spun around, groggy gold Fire Nation eyes meeting his own.

_Probably fell asleep. Don't they know who I am?_

Not that it really made a difference. With him locked up secure in his own little icy prison, he didn't blame the guy for sleeping on what was probably a boring job.

"You keep it down in there! Ain't got more than an hour left in my shift... Fuck with the next guy..." He accompanied his gruff voice with a scratch to the side of his fleshy face. The man made to turn back around and Zuko leapt forward, banging noisily on the glass again.

"Wait! Why am I in here?"

"Half-assed escape attempt, I guess." _Jet's angry face. Blue eyes. Fire. Not being able to breathe... _Right. No wonder he didn't remember anything. "Firebenders get the cooler. I'd recommend not fucking up again."

Zuko ignored the man's _witty diagnosis_ and wrapped his arms closer around his chest to keep the body heat in. That didn't tell him anything he couldn't figure out by the cold alone. He couldn't care less what happened to Jet (_hopefully fell in the lake and burnt up. But with my luck? Unlikely_), but the wild-eyebrowed teen hadn't been the only one helping him in the escape. "What happened to the other two – the idiot and the Watertribesman? He didn't have—"

_'Have anything to do with it'_, he would've said, had he not been breathing in so hard only moments after coming out of unconsciousness. The icy air swept through his lungs like sharp-knifed smoke; he could only bend over double coughing, praying to Agni for the strength to _not_ make a bigger fool of himself in front of his scowling kinsman.

_What would Sokka think if he saw how pathetic I am right now?_

_Better yet, why should I care?_

But the guard was trying to get his attention – yelling at him to '_cut it out_' in the strangest manner Zuko had ever encountered (nearly passing out or otherwise). "You gonna stop that now?" the man asked angrily. It didn't come naturally to him though, and instead of coming off the gruff and flat-affected guard, he looked young and positively shitting his prison-issued pants at the thought of explaining a prisoner's death to the warden.

Zuko tried to nod back at him. Hands clasping shaky knees, doing nothing but inducing more nausea. He swallowed past disgusting, dripping saliva. The banging and yelling was back full force; a whoosh of air and someone was tearing his hands away from his mouth, and they were coated in shiny, congealing red.

_Coughing up blood again? But I haven't even _tried_ to eat anything..._

Then the ground was being pulled out from under him. Or, more accurately, he was being lifted (_over shoulder like a fucking sack of wheat!_) out of the cooler and into the relative inferno of the cement prison walls. He gasped in a gulp of steamy volcanic air, grateful for the sudden change in atmospheric pressure in his lungs. They still burned, granted, but his own element soothed them like no ice ever could.

"The fuck," the guard was muttering, rushing him down the hallways like something contagious. "They _never_ mentioned this. The fuck am I supposed to do when they're dying? This is your fault, you know."

"Just put me down. I'm not an invalid."

He was promptly dropped down, and he batted away the meaty palms that circled his biceps, ready to grab him should he attempt to flee. It wasn't like he was in any condition for another attempt. Not after this week and whatever mysterious drug that he had been forced to ingest back at the Sun Warriors' with Aang...

_Aang..._

**Aang!**

The guard was looking at him funny, and he realized only too late that his thoughts hadn't stayed within his mind. "The Avatar," he clarified uselessly for all the difference it made in the man's sour demeanor. "Was he brought in with me? Or—"

"The threat of the Avatar was killed months ago by Princess Azula. It was all over the city flyers... Maybe you're more fucked up that I thought. Try not to go more loony until I get you to the infirmary..."

_Thank Agni... Infirmary? Wait-_ "I don't need no fucking medic! Just get me back to my cell. Some sleep and I'll be fine."

The man grumbled under his breath, but turned them down a separate forking hallway past two female guards who were leaning on either side of an inmate's cell door conversing in low whispers. "Anyone asks, I punched you in the jaw, got it?"

Zuko groaned at the man's machismo, but nodded wearily and allowed himself to be manhandled past the girls now giggling at the way their male coworker strutted by. Sometimes it was easier to just accept defeat and his headache didn't scream for pride. Besides, at least _he_ wasn't the one tarnishing his own honor this time.

* * *

"How could you have fallen for that? You should've tried to stop them," she fumed, stalking towards the center fountain in a subconscious attempt at calming through her element. Aang followed behind her helplessly as she waved her arms around madly. "And you didn't try to convince them not to go?"

"Katara!" Aang scolded, and the water in the nearby fountain rippled like a handful of rocks had been dropped into it's center. _Why does everyone try to blame me? _"Azula took _Zuko_! We _had_ to go help him!"

"Exactly!" Katara retorted. "It's _Zuko_. A month ago you wouldn't have cared."

"But he's one of us now, Katara. You know that."

"It's dangerous... I just didn't want any of you guys to get hurt."

Aang sighed, meeting Katara's sharp blue eyes with his own more tired gray. Still so full of anxious energy, he had made it down to the main floor before he saw the speck of his sky bison flying away with his two friends. Then he realized that Katara had woken up from their screaming, and pounced on him when she discovered him arrived and them gone. Haru had sat up rubbing sleepy eyes, only to usher a skittish The Duke out with him upon learning what had transpired while they slept. Aang wished he could have joined them.

"It's just as dangerous inside the prison, and Zuko's facing it all alone. What if it had been Sokka that had been taken? Would you stay in our safe temple just because it might be _dangerous_?"

Katara looked away, refusing to hold his disappointed gaze. "You can't make that comparison, Aang. Besides, I don't like how he's already corrupting my brother. They left _without_ you!"

"I trust Sokka's judgement and trust that he cares enough about Zuko to try and help." _And is **in love** with him...? _Aang flushed, trying to push his overheard conversation from his mind. That was Sokka and Zuko's buisness, and Aang had no right to do anything but be happy for them and appreciate love in whichever way it blessed them. "I'm not happy that they left without me. But there's nothing I can do about it now and... I understand why he did it. I don't _like_ it, but I understand. I need to be focusing on how to stop the Fire Lord."

Subdued by the gravity of the matter, Katara sunk down onto the fountain edge, rubbing smooth hands over worried cheeks. "It's just... I don't want anything to happen to him. We've already lost Dad... and I don't understand. Even with Azula as evil and crafty that she is, Zuko's always gotten away before. He's like an armadilloroach, I swear. I guess it just scares me that she could've gotten so much more dangerous with the comet coming so soon."

But she hadn't gotten more crafty. Aang had seen for himself how run-down she looked – much like her brother had that first morning of their journey.

_Gasping for breath, shaking hands... Blood running down his chin..._

More than anything, Aang wished that he could keep Zuko's privacy, keep Zuko's secret, but he couldn't sit back and do nothing if it could eventually help ease the older teen's suffering. In his turmoil he earthbended a stool directly in front of her with only the smallest thought, and met her head on. Praying for her support.

"Katara... There's something I need to tell you."

* * *

Hakoda watched the gruff teen before him much like he watched everything else. Troops, animals, his own children... Everything eventually became clear if enough attention was put into it. It was a lesson born of unforgiving glaciers and wise old women that could give him no comforting advice when his wife had been snatched away and disappeared like a wraith one day during a raid. He had suspected that his young daughter had witnessed it, and after enough careful observation and subtle questioning, had come to a conclusion. Even if Katara hadn't actually seen the murder than had taken her mother away, she had watched – terrified and confused – as the Fire Nation soldier hauled her mother out of the hut and into the steel hull of the enemy's ship.

The teen was doing his damnest to stare at him while not outwardly _seeming_ to look at him. Hakoda wasn't fooled. Sokka hadn't been so different the last time he'd seen him. For a moment he allowed himself to feel the grief of losing his kids yet again, before he pulled himself back together to watch Jet squirm against the rough stone wall.

Callouses padded his fingertips and palms, thicker around the thumb and index finger where one would grip the hilt of a sword, but they were on both hands. _Ambidextrous or dual blades?_ It didn't matter, save for the fact that the kid was frequently armed and judging from the lack of any real scarring on his visible skin, dangerous. He ground his left molars together like he'd expected to be chewing on something that was no longer there.

A sticky bead of sweat slid down from his hairline into his eyes and he brushed his forearm across his forehead, frowning as his arm came away wet and a slightly darker brown than before. _Penguinseal blubber is one thing, but Fire Nation ash is a completely different matter. Disgusting._ Jet didn't seem to be having the same issues, and had moved on to scowling at imaginary foes through the wall as though the heat didn't effect him.

_Ah. What it is to be young..._

"So... Earth Kingdom?"

"Jet," the kid corrected sharply at the wall.

Hakoda nodded, saying nothing for the hypocrisy. "Jet."

He didn't look up, but the slightest twitch of his lip had him pegged as paying attention, which was all the same to Hakoda. He had weighed the pros and cons of asking in his mind. When in doubt, he always chose to go into something well prepared. He had to escape. If not for himself, than for his children. "How long would you estimate that they will keep us locked up down here?"

Jet chuckled darkly, the humid air solidifying his breath in a misty puff. "Last time it was a week. I was down here when those insurgents came to break out a few prisoners, you see. Otherwise I would've beaten a ride back out of them. It'll probably be longer this time, second _disruption_ and all..."

"Insurgents, you say... Were they particularly famous or politically wealthy prisoners?"

"Nah, just the regular sort. Criminals and the like. You know, the kind that _usually_ fill up prisons?"

He had the grace to ignore the sarcasm. "What nation were they from?"

"All of them, I think. I didn't see them leaving from down here, but the feisty girl from Block B's gone as well as a couple of Firebending older men that think they're too good to get involved in the fights that break out during meal times. Maybe another Water Tribe guy like you? I don't know everyone here; I just noticed a couple missing afterwards once I'd been told what happened."

_Water Tribe... _Hakoda prayed silently for the safety of whichever tribe member had managed to escape. Then he prayed that they would find and help Sokka and Katara. They were still so young to be facing the world at its worst on their own, and it didn't sit right with him.

_When I do escape and fight my way back to you... I only ask that you forgive me for being such a horrible father._

A sudden burst of frustrated air from Jet, and he hurled the nearest rock at the far wall. "Fuck! I'm sure they want me to rot in here, you know. Get old and decrepit and miserable, all for the Fire Nation's fucking _amusement_!"

Hakoda snorted at the melodrama. "Somehow I doubt they garner much amusement from a prisoner on some secluded island."

"That Princess bitch was the one that sent me here," he admitted finally, frustrated at everything and nothing. "Seems she found enough amusement in my efforts at revealing her brother enough to _let me live_. I almost died down in Lake Lao Gai. Then she waltzes in with a few lackeys and a fucking smirk... Says she's going to repay my 'services' with a silent and miserable existence tucked away where no one will have to see me again. _Whore_..."

He didn't think the teen would be willing to hear any practical words of advice, so he remained silent, which was probably best because he didn't really want to be subjected to more of the kid's life story. _Another price of being young_, he figured. _Always believing the world's problems are isolated to themselves. It's not like you're alone in this chamber, Kid._ He couldn't remember being so self-centered when he was that age, but with the war, he couldn't remember much of a childhood that wasn't painted and armored in the preparations for war. _Then again, when you're young you don't have the same perspective._

He never had these sorts of issues with his _own_ children.

Granted, he hardly ever saw his children, so perhaps he was just out of practice.

Jet's harsh breathing stilled sharply, and in the air left behind he could barely hear the staccato shouts and footfalls of harried guards (or prisoners, perhaps) running by outside of their dim isolation chamber. Another moment, and the cement beneath them vibrated with a sort of energy that Hakoda associated on some deep level with bending.

Suddenly the ground shook harder as though it was growing closer and Jet leapt to his feet, Hakoda following only a moment after on sore and war-weakened knees.

"I think we've found our ticket out of here."

Jet flashed him a predatory grin, morale up with the evidence of Earthbending. First the door to Jet's small cell flew open with a strong kick to the damp-eroded joints. Then his followed it.

* * *

She couldn't say she was surprised. No one went from a single-minded hunter to a weak and domesticated dovemouse overnight – especially when that person was known for his untiring resilience in trying to capture the Avatar, of all people. So hearing that the so called _reformed_ prince was now playing for a false sympathy card with their resident bleeding heart was met with less shock and more muted disgust.

She leaned back on her hands, leveling with Aang's concerned round eyes. "You're too nice, Aang. But trust me, there's nothing wrong with Zuko that a couple water whips to the head can't fix."

"That's not it! I mean that something's _really wrong._ I saw him, and he's seriously sick. Like... Like maybe _dying_ sick."

He seemed to believe what he was saying, and for Aang's sake, she hoped Zuko wasn't pulling _another_ lie over the younger teen, regardless of what that'd mean for the firebender. "Did Zuko _tell_ you he was sick, Aang?"

"No. No, he tried to hide it, actually..."

_Now, that doesn't make sense..._

Growing up with an older sibling, she was ashamed of the jealousy that could fester whenever her dad would take Sokka out to teach him _how to be a man_. It hadn't been intentional – the unequal and unfair portions of the man's day that the kids would grapple over. Hours that she was stuck with the old women of the tribe, waiting for a father that would only sit and make awkward small-talk for twenty minutes before he'd give her a hug and shuffle off to his chiefly duties.

(She couldn't even blame him for that. Kya had been snatched away from her – away from them both – when Katara had been on the cusp of womanhood. Maybe Hakoda thought he was helping by leaving the women to instruct in what he knew little of. It was impossible to say.)

But more than once she had over-exaggerated symptoms, even creating them blindly on occasion to garner her dad's attention. He would drop everything and sit with her, telling her stories of her mother and tease her on her messy stitches adorning whatever Gran-Gran had given her to practice on. She could ask anything of him and he'd do it in a heartbeat if it'd make her happy.

If Zuko wasn't following her pattern, then that meant that she didn't understand what he was doing, which made him more dangerous than when he had been actively hunting them. Though, he could be playing for subtle to try to disguise his motives... She glanced at Aang, looking away quickly with a blush when she thought about her own feelings for the boy and how he didn't seem to have any clue.

_Right. Like Aang could ever be observant enough to notice anything less than someone dying directly in front of him..._

Aang didn't say anything about the pinkness to her cheeks, and she knew from his character what he thought of it. Of course he'd believe she'd immediately believe him and feel embarrassed. He clenched his fists and his knuckles whitened under the lightly tanned skin. "He started looking really pale after we left for the Sun Warriors' Ruins, so I kept an eye on him just in case. Then, when I woke up, he was already outside. He threw up, but it was really bad... there was blood, Katara. He didn't look like he wanted to talk about it, and I... Well, I didn't know how to bring it up again, but he was having a real hard time breathing when we were exploring the ruins too."

_W-What?_

"Are you serious? Aang, that sounds..." _Really bad_, but her mouth wouldn't form the words. "I don't trust him – I can't, I'm sorry. Not after everything he's done. But if something's seriously wrong with him..." She swallowed the lump forcing itself up her throat as images from that first day returned to her. He had looked like a drowned rabbitfox, quivering and shaking and she had refused to listen. Back then she had felt justified by all the grief and frustration he had caused them. What if he had been sick even then?

_He's Fire Nation. They lie... Cheat, steal, and take people's mothers away from them..._

"If he's that sick, how is he going to be able to teach you firebending? The dragons could've only shown you so much," Katara said quietly, both to ease her own stewing conscience and appear firm in her resolve. She couldn't look her friend in the eye and see the disappointment she knew would be there. Still, she had to hold strong.

_For Mom_, she thought, and hoped Zuko wasn't really as sick as he seemed.

* * *

"Shit! Shit-shit-shit-shit-_shit_... Maybe this wasn't the best idea?"

Toph grinned insanely beside him, flexing her hands before her in a classic bending stance whilst deflecting two guards with stone catapults by her feet. He chased her through the third gigantic hole she had blasted in the prison's interior, trying to both keep up and parry arrows at the same time (breathing only when his lungs started to burn and he realized he had forgot). The blind girl seemed ecstatic. "It was a _great_ idea! I haven't got to kick some butt in a while. Can't keep an Earthbender suspended off a cliff long before we get antsy."

"If this is antsy, I don't want to see you mad."

She laughed. "Damn right, you don't."

An unfortunate armored projectile joined his kin in a majestic arc, followed by a painful sounding _thud_. Ahead, two guards stepped forward into a Firebending stance. Their rough hands forming sloppy parodies of the smooth and deceptively graceful way that Zuko tried for intimidation. With him it worked.

(Probably because _he_ didn't shake like a badgermole doing it.)

Sokka windmilled his sword to dissipate the first guard's warning flare, reaching back and unleashing Boomerang with his left hand. The trajectory wasn't perfect, but the rounded stone end still made solid contact with the guard's helmet. Good enough. Toph was yelling something – most likely an insult – trying to get his attention. She had been busy. The walls on all side for a good twenty yards were raised on Earth Kingdom-designed pillars, like cutting out the inner walls of a maze. Several startled guards and inmates swore and looked around nervously before chaos broke out. _As planned._

"Meathead, _move it_!"

He chased after Toph's charging figure as several of the guards broke off to detain the inmates who were taking advantage of the situation to escape. He could only hope that those weren't murderers they were inadvertently freeing. Panting, he slid to a stop behind the girl. They had made it back into the walled-in area, ducking behind the nearest storeroom door and leaning heavily against it. Or, at least he was. To her credit, Toph stood strong and proud, grinning at her job in the operation.

"Told you that was a good plan. It helps when your accomplice is the world's greatest Earthbender. And you thought it wouldn't work... Don't doubt yourself so often." He was almost touched by her support, until she punched him in the arm. "Besides, you're boring when you overthink things."

"Hey, watch it! That's my thinking arm..."

She laughed. "I bet I know who you're thinking about when you're using it, too." He coughed and he lead them in sneaking along the corridor to hide his blush. He'd contradict her, but there wasn't much time or point when she could tell he was lying just by his heightened pulse.

They turned the corner. Ahead of them was yet another long corridor lined with doors. These doors, however, looked to be lined with something sturdier than steel bars and had a small glass window adorning the front of each one. A cold shiver traveled up his spine, and he peered into the first one they passed. An angry ugly face glared back, and he jumped back in alarm.

"Something's weird in here, Toph. I wonder why these cells look so different," he said quietly. Just because most of the guards were busy with the distraction they had created coming in, that didn't mean some weren't scouring the prison looking for those responsible.

Toph frowned and slowed her fast pace in thought. "Something in the cells are different, too. It's like they're... humming? Some kind of motor's going." She grumbled at even suggesting it, but," what do you see?"

He stopped in front of another door and steeled his nerves before peering in that one as well. _Calm down, Sokka. You're the tough guy... It's not like they're going to pop out and eat you or anything._ The man locked inside the cell was huddled in on himself, thick-muscled arms wrapped tight around his chest in an effort to keep warm. And Sokka could see why. Ice fully coated the insides of the small cylinder, thick enough to obscure even the metal lining it. As Sokka watched, the man's breath condensed like angry spirits with each disgusted exhale, eyes like pitch scowling back.

_Hold on, Buddy. I'm not even your enemy..._

Well, no use getting distracted. "They're some type of freezing chamber. The motors are probably keeping them cold. But why would...?" He watched disconnectedly as Toph laid her palm flat against the nearest door, a good two feet below the viewing window. For her benefit more than his own, he said softly, "What am I saying? This is a prison – of course the Fire Nation would keep its own traitors locked up in here. If I was a jerkbender, I'd probably hate being thrown in the cold, too."

"Sorry, Sokka. Looks like Sparky'll never wanna go home to _meet the folks_," she teased. He didn't dignify it with a vocal response, but stuck his tongue out at her despite her inability to see it. "So now that we're in, how do we find Lover-Boy? I might be amazing, but there's gotta be at least five hundred people in this place and Zuko's footsteps aren't sticking out in that stampede."

The girl had a point and he cursed his lack of foresight. He cursed his stomach too, as it decided to growl loudly in protest of missing what was probably breakfast by now. _Might as well curse my bad luck while I'm at it – or is it Zuko's? Yue, help me..._"No idea. Start knocking on cells?"

"I thought you were the _Plan Guy_. Come up with something," she ordered, but they turned the corner and she started bending open the doors to the mostly-empty cells on that corridor anyway. Those prisoners who hadn't been paying attention when the destruction had begun were suddenly taking note, and followed their cellmates down the hallway Sokka and Toph had just came from. Zuko wasn't among them.

For lack of any real better idea, he glanced in each empty cell as they past. Sometimes it was frustrating being the only non-bender of the group – not that he'd ever admit it. "My plans haven't exactly worked out for me well lately, so I'm playing the rest by ear."

"Well your ear sucks. It's too bad your sarcasm and stupid humor can't plan a rescue attempt."

"Hey!"

Before he could defend his _fantastic_ sense of humor, Toph stopped, raising her hands in anticipation of the hurried footsteps Sokka was just now noticing around the corner. He grappled for his boomerang, but the man who came around the corner wasn't a guard as he had expected.

"Dad?"

* * *

**AN:** Haha, whoops. So it's been a long time... Sorry. I'll try to do better at that from now one. The near-constant slow flow of reviews went a long way in prompting me to update, though. I can't count how many more people added this story to their favorites or alerts without reviewing... You'll make an author sad, I swear. : P At least this new chapter is twice the length of the last one, so you may have had a wait, but hopefully it's been worth it. I've got some ideas as to where I'm going to take this now, and quite a few surprises coming, so keep the reviews coming for inspiration!


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